Ch. 34: Complications
The deception and complications hadn't gone unnoticed, when Aracxus saw through the eyes of Harry and found a guarded mind. He had earlier noticed no such Oclumency Barriers on Neville, and granted it could be the Blacks who secretly taught him to protect their secrets, but when out of suspicion Aracxus had used his other senses, namely his Skyrim Magicka and his Force, he could very easily sense the corrupted evil taint of the leech called Voldemort growing over Harry's psyche.
It would be quite easy to absorb the leech now, but it couldn't ensure the soul of Harry would remain intact. And using Rinnegan was dangerous as he risked pulling Harry's soul along with the Horcrux soul.
It was quite a dilemma and he wondered how it could have happened as Harry was safe in cannon. Perhaps his interference had led to Harry being out of the safe haven that was the blood ward that protected him, and now that he was away, the magic was weakened enough for Voldemort to take a firm hold over the boy.
For now, he had to prompt and try to gauge the level of influence the leech had on the boy. If Voldemort's soul was given any indication that he was being extracted, the Soul shard would rip apart the boy from the inside and then all the caution would be for moot.
This needed some thought, Aracxus wondered, but for now he needed to lecture the fourth years.
The DADA Classroom was abuzz in gossip, as the previous professor was a stuttering mess. The one before that was somewhat okay, if bored to be teaching and doing anything more than necessary. The one they had for their first year was an absolute blast, and the fourth year class of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw wondered how their new teacher would fare.
There were some rumours the teacher had been an absolutely powerful teacher as the Ravenclaw students had witnessed the young professor float in air and replant the absolutely massive Whomping Willow after Potter and Weasley crashed the flying car into the tree.
The papers were abuzz with the recent break in Statute of Secrecy, especially after it was done by the Boy-Who-Lived and the youngest Son of Weasleys.
But all their discussions came to a halt, as suddenly a girl screamed, "Aaaahh."
All attention turned as they suddenly noticed the professor stood next to the girl who screamed and saw her floating in air.
"Good Morning class. I am your professor for Defence Against Dark Arts. You may address me as Professor Aracxus. To begin our course, I will endeavour to teach you students the very basics of the subject. Not to identify the Dark Arts, or to identify the dark creatures, and not even how to defend against them. But awareness. Vigilance. Caution."
At each word, he pushed the words in the air and each student saw the word glowing in red in front of their eyes.
Some students, especially the Ravenclaw students began to take notes, but suddenly their quills were dragged out of their hands and their parchments found floating to their side.
"Tch Tch Tch!" The professor clicked his teeth. "I allow no distractions in my class. You may find a copy of the script of my lecture after every class, and you may make notes as you think about what we talked during the lecture."
He showed the Dictaquill floating behind him.
"My words are scripted verbatim, and you may use them for notes. But during lectures, I want all eyes on me, all ears on my words and most importantly all your attention. In my class, you must think critically and analytically. No exceptions. No points shall be awarded in my class, for any answer. But points will be deducted if I find any of you lacking in decorum or diligence. I shall offer the best of my knowledge to you, but I expect the same effort from you too."
He saw now that he had their attention. "Before we start, I shall stop the Dictaquill and allow three questions from each house. After that we shall begin with our lecture. When I point, stand up and introduce yourself, before asking your question."
At his nod, he saw several hands go up. "Yes you."
He pointed at a Ravenclaw girl, and the class saw a red arrow pointed at her. She nodded and stood up. "Clair Maydew Professor. Is it true you can fly? Unassisted that is. We saw you use Wandless and silent magic, a feat thought impossible for everyone, but the strongest and powerful wizards. But can you fly too? If so, is there any secret to it, besides sheer powerful magic?"
He smiled at her. "Please sit down Ms. Maydew. And to answer your question, Yes I believe I can fly."
With a smile, he floated in air and took to the air, to the cheers and applause of the excited students. Coming to a pause mid-air, he smiled. "Now that answers one of your questions, let me be blunt to answer the other. Wand Wielding was an art and a tool empower wizards in times of dire emergency like the turbulent and violent history has told us. Even the weakest of wizards can do great feats with wands in their hands and incantations on their lips. My Secret Ms. Maydew, is that I recognise magic for what it is. Not a tool to misuse, or a weapon to wield, but as a force", in so saying, he felt a thrum of magic as a bright pulse of magic pulsed through his veins.
He forced it to flow through his fingers as it touched every student.
Seeing their faces filled with wonder, he continued, "The force that flows through everything, the magic inside the living and the nonliving, the force that binds us, the force that unites us. Magic is a wonderful energy that exists regardless of wand or words. And a wizard is different from squib and muggles, not because he can wield a wand, but because he is gifted with the ability to sense magic, to flow with it and to allow it to pass through him. And Magic answers our call, but it is not the wand or our words that coaxes magic into accepting our choice, but our steady unbending and unyielding will!"
And with a him, the magic began to vibrate as Aracxus used his sheer magical pressure on the students who looked in shock and fear. And just as suddenly as they felt the dread creeping in their skin, they felt it all vanish, as all the glowing light and magic in the air vanished as if it was never there.
"Next question please."
After the few questions, he drew the session to a close to begin his lecture.
"Now that your questions are done. I want you to have a copy of this homework sheet. This will tell me where you are lacking and which areas I need to emphasize more. Given that you had a string of teachers each year, and you give your OWLs next year, it is best to prepare in advance."
Each student found a square sheet of parchment in front of them. Which had a set of multiple choice questions.
"The test is for your own progress and would correct itself. I have used a protean charm and copied the sheet to me. Answers you fill, will be copied in my parchment as well, and so will the final result and the remarks for each of you. It is easy to give the test as it has a set of choices to choose from. But be careful, I want you to think and solve the test carefully. Each question has a set time assigned to it. When the time has elapsed, you will see the question has disappeared from its place. Any attempt to cheat will result in the parchment destroying itself, and the house earning a detention with Professor Snape during my lectures. I refuse to teach to students who cannot work to help themselves and instead choose a shortcut."
The students were griped with excitement at the charms work on each parchment. As a fourth year student, they knew how the charms were not permanent in nature. And to have charmed all the test papers, it must have required quite an extensive work.
"Now that the unpleasant things are dealt with, we are free to resume our lecture. Why did I use the words Caution and Vigilance when I told you I would teach you basics of Defence? Because a calm mind allows you to react better, reply faster and act with stronger intent that enables you to deal with whatever situation you face."
The students saw a giant image of Nundu, and the students screamed as they panicked at the giant animal roaring.
"Because of magic, it is possible to use confounding charms. Bewitching charms can seize the mind and rob your senses. I could use an illusion so real, you could smell it. I could make a glamour so true, you could taste it. This sight of a XXXXX level beast roaring at you, could be a skillful illusion, a complex Transfiguration, a Boggart, or a real Nundu. I would teach you not only to prepare you for the tests, but to prepare you for life. And first rule of defense is to NOT PANIC!"
The students saw the illusion of Nundu replaced by the words that glowed so bright, it blinded their eyes.
"Every act of a Dark Wizard is to drive fear into the hearts of the people. If people are afraid, they are obedient. If people are scared, they do not react to your actions. If people panic, they follow the herd and act live a slave to your whims. It is the very nature of Dark Wizards to make as many people afraid as possible. Because every single wizard and witch afraid to take wand against them is another wand less in opposition to their total control."
The people were entranced as they saw the sight of Grindelwald and Voldemort standing on the bowing heads of heaps of masses.
"Every Wizard is capable of dealing with a Werewolf." An image of Fenrir Grayback came into sight, as he howled at the full moon in the illusion.
The Man howled and the students watched in fascination as the Man transformed slowly. His bones broke, his snout grew longer, his fingers drew claws, and his clothes tore as his frame grew leaner and closer to a wolf.
"This type of transition is painful to any werewolf, and a rabid violent criminal like Fenrir who embraces his inner animal become monsters. They feast on human flesh, because in their minds they are not humans, but true wolves. And we humans become prey to them to feast on."
The students were shocked as some gulped in disgust and some had their faces green. He heard a lot of them say, "I feel sick."
But there was a collective gasp, as a green light pulsed from the professor, and all of their nauseas was driven away.
"Steel your minds students. Dark Wizards are not dark and dangerous, because they are powerful, but because they are willing to cross the lines of decency, of morality. They become animals and monsters worse than any creatures in any recorded Bestiary. And such monsters, when they cross their lines can only be defeated by putting them down like the rabid animals they become."
An illusion of the Werewolf attacking people came to the forefront, and shades and shadows depicted the act of cruelty.
"When a werewolf chains himself, or wanders in forests and the wild hunting animals they are not monsters, but merely sick and diseased people afflicted with a curse. But those like Fenrir, can only be defeated by putting them down like an animal. But back to our original discourse."
The Shifting form of Werewolf came to the forefront. "Dealing with a werewolf is difficult, because the curse of Lycanthropy makes them stronger, faster, resilient and relentless."
Each time the image of werewolf is compared to a wolf. "A wolf hunts in packs. This is true for all species of wolves. But it is equally true, that while a werewolf is stronger than any known species of wolf, they are a dangerous predator. And to deal with dangerous predator, who are superior in all physical aspects than an average wizard, you use the one tool you have that is superior than them all."
He leaned in, as a man is shown stabbing the wolf through its heart with a spear.
"You use your cunning. Your capable and wise mind. You beat the monster by playing to its weakness, to its faults, to its instincts and finally with its senses. That is how you bring down a Werewolf, a Nundu, a Basilisk and even a Dragon. And if all else fails, and believe you me, it will fail, and it Will happen to the best of men, and at the worst of times, You must remember how to escape with as minimum an injury as possible, as little damage to you and your people as possible. And you must escape and survive to fight another day, in a battle of your choosing. Where you decide to fight in a Place You Want, and at a Time You Want."
As he spoke, the images changed to his words, and he heard a resounding applause at the end.
After calming the students down, he nodded. "So when we discuss each dark creature and monster, we would not only discuss the beast themselves. We would discuss the alternative of their sighting, the unintentional false claims, the ways to deal with them, and of course their weakness and how to exploit them."
The students were excited as the professor had just lit a fire in their collective asses.
"But doing so, in the classical time we are allowed will be nigh impossible. That is why, I have decided that each year will pair with their lower year as a study buddy program. You are to help your juniors and in return receive help from your seniors. This can continue for all other subjects if you desire. But it is strict and compulsory for mine. But it comes with a restriction. No bullying. I receive a single anonymous complaint and I will hunt down the culprit and ban that entire year of that particular house for this term. You shall not receive any help from your seniors nor will you be allowed to the excursions I have planned to introduce you to the various keeps and reserves I have planned."
Seeing the students excited, he continued, "If I find the particular year to be well behaved. And I find that you helped your juniors with their work and have been polite to your seniors, I will arrange an excursion trip to Romania to a Dragon Reserve to meet and greet the dangerous creatures in person."
The cheers were deafening as the students were thrilled beyond expectation. "But to that end, I expect year long hard work. You especially have a lot to cover given the abysmal state of this post for so long. And as I wanted to tell you earlier, since we have a lot to discuss and a lot to cover, I am going to keep double lectures on weekends alternately. That means, a weekend after this one, you will have two hours of my class on Sunday, to allow you time to relax and enjoy visit to Hogsmeade on Saturday. In return I will not have a lot of homework, besides the self-assigned work you shall have after each test you take after every lecture with me. If you seek references for my discourse, and you are unable to find it, come to the empty classroom to our left. I have left a small collection of my private books there. You can stay there and read quietly. But you cannot take the book out of the room. It will automatically return to its place should you make any attempt to do so. You may copy the notes and take references. And if you want an entire chapter, you could have the book placed inside the copier which is placed nearby."
He showed the strange box with the words copier written on it.
He placed the book inside and showed the amazed students as the entire page was copied as it is.
"Remember, you would need to supply your own parchment to it. And each student can only copy fixed number of pages each month. If you need more, order the book yourself. I can help you placing the order."
With that the Professor disappeared with the chalk writing on the board. "If you cannot find me, ask you parchments. They will show the way."
The Evening that day was abuzz with Gryffindors and Ravenclaws praising their new DADA professors to high heavens.
His casual feats of magic, and the wonderful charms work on their parchments had made even seventh year students bringing his parchment to the Charms Professor, Professor Flitwick to explain the charms work.
"He had made such a wonderful work with those parchments headmaster. I have never seen such refined work for such a long time. And Minerva explained she had her lions coming with questions about transfiguration and texts beyond their years. We haven't seen such questions and curiosity for many years now. Even my ravens had began to help their juniors and asking for productive help from their seniors. The tower was filled with debates and discussions on the various feats of magic the young professor had demonstrated today in class."
Flitwick exclaimed to Headmaster as the four head of houses had gathered for a weekend review.
"And we have already seen his magical prowess that day, Albus. How does a young man of such caliber come to teach at Hogwarts? And where did he learn his magic? He isn't registered in the school's charter. And we would have remembered such a promising young man passing through these walls."
Minerva explained as she had seen the usual raucous Gryffindors filled with wilful curiosity and desire for knowledge. She was proud of her lions, whom she saw as her own children. To see them hunting for books and explaining to their juniors while asking help from their seniors was a truly satisfying sight.
That it was the playful young man who enjoyed pulling pranks on her was in no way disappointing, as she couldn't come to hate the man. Young Aracxus had enjoyed pulling her leg, and after each prank, at the end of the day, she would find a delightful gift in her room to appease her. The first time she experienced his pranks, she wondered what made her turn into a cat and play with the catnip.
But the next morning, she found a book on Self-Transfiguration that she was looking for in Australia last summer, because it was illegal to possess in Europe.
The copy was in mint condition along with a small Daisy that transfigured itself into a tabby cat. She had smiled at his thoughtful nature, and decided to enjoy his pranks in good spirit, as he would always send a small gift to her to appease her.
Another time, it was a gem that he had transmuted into a diamond needle. That was one of the most precious gift she had, since it was thought magically impossible to transmute anything into diamond. And yet, she couldn't believe her eyes when she saw it.
She had shown the gift to Albus who merely smiled in reply and said, "Don't worry Minerva, the feats the young man is capable of, cannot be fathomed by the knowledge we are limited to."
That was a small hint, if any, to what the young man was truly capable of. Seeing his feats of magic was another hint that the man was truly exceptional and magically powerful.
But then the question remained, why teach here? For Merlin's sake, he could stand on a podium and show his magic and make the people vote for him as the next Minster of Magic.
And he could do anything, be anything and yet, he chose to come here. To teach a cursed post that results in the professor ousted from it within a year.
But the headmaster didn't answer her question. At least not in a meaningful way.
"I cannot tell you where he learnt his magic Minerva, as it is not my place to say. But I can assure you, his magical talents are cut from a different cloth. You would rarely find a man talented as he is. Why, the wand that the man wields isn't even a real wand. I was interviewing him, and we had taken a stroll in the forbidden forests. We came across the Centaurs and Firenze came forward and bowed to our young man. "The stars align to your will." the centaur divined, and the herd left without waiting for a reply. He looked down and saw the broken twig where Firenze stepped on. "Then this shall be my wand." Aracxus said and transfigured the twig into a ornate looking wand."
The random incident was surprisingly an apt way to explain the young impressive man. Random at thought, powerful beyond measure and deceptively and subtly stronger than you would assume.
"Then headmaster", the low deep gravelly voice of the Head of Slytherin House was heard. "What Minerva wanted to know, and what we really want to ensure is, whether the man is going to be a problem."
She felt herself nod, as she saw even Pomona and Filius nodded.
"We have seen his prowess, and I have seen, the man has no want of wealth or power. Such men are the ones we should be most cautious about, since they have nothing seemingly explainable that drives them. And I wonder, if what he desires is something," the calm and quiet Snape drawled, "sinister."
But Albus refuted the accusation. "Don't worry Severus. The man has a desire and a goal in mind. But it is not aligned against our own: The safety and security of our students, within the walls and outside. He merely wants to act rather than wait for the students to learn on their own. And he has convinced me that the time is nigh. Because I am in the circle of a few of the Wizards and witches I trust, I believe I can tell you a few things openly."
*After a few hours*
Explaining to the heads of the houses, how Aracxus was helping Dumbledore hunt for Horcruxes and what the foul pieces of magic did or how they were created, he left out the obvious gap of Harry being a Horcrux as it would bring about a worrying amount of scrutiny and attention.
With his intentions explained the teachers were pleased that the powerful young wizard had noble intentions in mind, and some bits of his lecture and discourse made it clear how he wanted to empower the students against the dark Wizards.
"Then on to other matters." Dumbledore said, as he looked through the syllabus and the various demands and requests by the professors.
"We have a surprising amount of requests this year to take up Alchemy Newts. Contrary to last year, we don't need to send them to Beauxbatons for Alchemy studies, as our DADA professor has a mastery in the subject as per the Academic Records in the Ministry. Should I send a request to Professor Aracxus to open his schedule for the prospective alchemy studies. It would be so many years since Alchemy was offered at Hogwarts, not after you took the position of Headmaster here, Albus."
Minerva remarked.
Albus hummed in thought and nodded. "Yes, if I remember correctly, only those students who earned their O in Transfiguration and at least an E in Potions and Charms could qualify to attempt the Alchemy NEWTs. How many do we have this year Minerva?"
She checked and paused as she glanced at multiple sheets. "Surprisingly we have 16 this year. The students in sixth year and also those in seventh year who want to attempt the Newt next year have requested to allow you to teach Alchemy. But I know you would refuse since you are already busy given what we just heard."
Dumbledore smiled amused, as he saw the backhanded retort to him putting all his work on his Deputy Headmistress.
"Don't be so cross Minerva. Think of it as me giving you more responsibilities so you are ready to take my position. And even discussing with Aracxus, I have come to realise that my passion for teaching vastly exceeds the desire to hold on to the various positions I hold. Come next meeting, I have decided to volunteer and retire as Supreme Mugwump of the ICW. I have nominated a few candidates to take my position. As for my position as Chief Warlock, I plan to announce my retirement during this fall session of Wizengamot. And as for my position of Headmaster here, I believe I have kept the seat for far too long. I have already informed the governors that this would be my last term and I have already nominated you Minerva as my replacement."
The smiling grandfatherly visage did not fool anyone, and the shock on Minerva's face contorted into a displeasures huff. "What makes you think I want to replace you so soon?"
Her huff was replaced by her worry just as quickly. "But are you okay Albus? Are you suffering from some ailment you have hidden from us? Is something wrong? I can take up more work, if it allows you to continue. Hogwarts needs you, its students need you. And now more than ever."
The other professors replied in agreement, to which he merely smiled calmly. "I am alright Minerva. And I don't want to be away from this castle anymore than you do. I want to apply for the position of Professor of Alchemy, so I could continue to interact with my students. But Aracxus convinced me, and I believe it was right time to give up my positions of power. I did not want them in the first place, just as I have no desire for being a Minister of Magic. I want to enlighten students and teach them Alchemy. And I hope you all will respect my decision."
That made the mood sombre, as Filius began to applaud. "We have followed your leadership through thick and thin through all the highs and lows. It would be only right to allow you peace and rest as you desire."
The others joined and they congratulated Minerva too. Even if it was upto the Board of Governors, the Recommendation from a man such as Dumbledore was never taken lightly.
As the fall came to pass, and November came with the Scottish North Winds, Hogwarts was abuzz with excitement. The third years had a visit to the Hippogriffs, and almost all of them got to ride the majestic creature.
The fourth year got to visit the merfolk colony in the Lake, and a good time with the Giant Squid who enjoyed getting fed by the students. But it was only a part of their excursion as a part of Defence Against the Dark Arts course, as Aracxus had begun a tradition.
After an afternoon at the Great Lake, he took them to the forbidden forest to visit the Centaurs who did not mind the students as they were respectful and polite. Then he took them further away to see the Bowtruckles on trees, and various small creatures in the forest, before carefully bringing the entire fourth year to the giant Acromantula Nest.
Aragog had been displeased at not having the pleasure of eating the children, but Aracxus had erected a dome of energy and no spider could come any closer.
Aracxus then explained to the students how dangerous and difficult to kill these spiders are.
"Remember students. Caution and vigilance. Creatures are devious, and spiders are not to be underestimated. Aragog here is old, and he has a few years of life left, but his spider colony will continue to grow and their infestation will destroy a forest and its habitat if left unchecked."
So saying, he used force to lift the spider as big as a car, as students screamed in fear.
"This one is just a small adult who can mate with a female as old as 15 weeks and their union can result in as many 20 eggs, out of which at least 18 will successfully hatch. That means so many spiders here can multiply and the next time we visit, we can expect at least thrice the amount of spiders as we see here."
He came to Aragog and froze him in place. "But it is our job to cull their numbers as the spiders don't grow smart until a few years. The young ones rely on their instincts to hunt, and they mate and reproduce without a thought. Therefore, it becomes necessary to keep them in check."
So saying, a gust of wind passed through, as every spider in vicinity died instantly. The wails and screams of the giant Aragog were unnoticed by Aracxus as he pulled onto the bodies of the young ones and floated them in air. "Their venom is a very good ingredient in a variety of potions. Their legs and fangs too. Their bodies could be used as feast for larger snake-type magical creatures, as they find it tasty. And finally we take the bodies away to prevent these spiders from eating their bodies and growing in numbers yet again. The Acromantula are cannibals by nature."
So saying, he used force to defang the bodies, and cut their legs cauterizing the wounds at the same time, and stored the venom in crystal vials and then placed the bodies, legs and vials in his Hammerspace.
"Now I want you to write a report of the structural anatomy of an Acromantula and note the differences and similarities between normal species of spiders and them. I also have a small thread of Acromantula silk. Test it and write a report on its comparison with other silks and threads. I want a brief report, no flowery words. Nothing but the facts. And for extra credit, you can research on ways to defend against different ages of Acromantula spiders. They are all wizard-killers, so I want lethal defence methods. A non-lethal method of dealing with them is the spell Arania Exumei. It is merely a Banishing spell. Difindo, the cutting curse works inflicting pain, but Acromantula never come singly. Where there is one, there are bound to be at least tens of them."
Seeing the students nod, he gave them the homework sheet each. "I want a list of Area of Effect Spells. Use of Transfiguration and Conjuration can also award special commendation from Professor McGonagall. Using the Battle Transfiguration and demonstrating it can give extra points and a reward from Professor McGonagall too. Instead, use of charms and original spellwork can give you same rewards from our Charms Professor."
He then turned to Aragog. "As for you, Hagrid loves like a child. But the lovable goof has forgotten spiders like you are dangerous. I have permission from Headmaster to extinguish this Nest if I so deem it necessary. But I want to keep you around as a lesson for my students. So I will let you live. As for the dead children, I am taking their corpses to the sewers to feed Her. Should I find your children seeking to attack and leave the boundaries of the nest, I shall unleash your most feared enemy inside the nest. Do you understand?"
Aragog tittered as it clapped its fangs. "You know of the monster in the castle?"
Aracxus smiled and hissed. "I spoke to it."
The spider clicked it's teeth and crawled back in fear. "You are a damned speaker. You are just like..."
Aracxus smiled and clicked his teeth. "Tch tch tch. There there. Be mindful of your words. If I were you I would not rattle the beast. And you don't want to anger me, do you?"
The spider screamed as it bowed its head and the students wondered what their powerful professor did to the spider.
"We will obey, great speaker. Kin of the Serpents."
Aracxus nodded. "Very Well. And you shall keep your nest. I shall be around to cull your numbers periodically. Only the outliers. Place them outside the nest every Winter Solstice starting next year."
He then turned around, with the students following him like ducklings.
"Professor?" a girl from the group asked. Hufflepuff, he noticed. "Who was the creature Aragog was so afraid of?"
Aracxus smiled in reply. "A special treat from me to those who could find an answer on your own. I'll give you a hint. You wouldn't believe me, if I showed you."
The fifth year had a trip to the forest to show them the Unicorns. Then a trip to Abraxan stables, as the reserve breeding and herding the winged horses needed funding, and Aracxus had taken them over and improved their numbers.
The sixth year had a steep increase in dangerous creatures, as he brought them to see the Erumpents and dangerous Hippos. He even showed them the Dementors from afar, and brought a giant Patronus of Dragon to force the creatures away.
The Sixth Year had been the most helpful of the bunch, as they helped all years down and made sure things were cordial. The bullying case of Luna Lovegood was also reported before it got out of hand, and he dealt with the bullys by denying them a chance to come to these trips.
Luna herself enjoyed the trips as she thanked him for dealing with nargles. He showed her how to care for Thestrals and gave her an exclusive visit to the Chamber of Secrets, before he even showed other students.
The Basilisk there was left as a guardian of the castle, and giving her food and care was all she needed. She was forced and bound by ritual by Tom, and that had caused her to attack the students as she did.
As the fanfictions came true in this case, the Basilisk had a second set of eyelids that protected others from dying when looked into her eye. Her eyelids gained a sheen as her yellow eyes killed only when she so chose to.
Aracxus had already explained it to the teachers, and even if they were reluctant, the Basilisk had proven that she was not a threat. Especially when she was fed full.
Instead of a ready meal, she preferred to hunt her prey, and there was never a shortage of animals and creatures when they could be bred to multiply with magic.
The Seventh Years were the one who got to visit the Giant Basilisk in the Chamber, and they were left shell shocked to find a secret chamber in the girl's toilet.
"Welcome students to the Home of the Largest and Arguably the Oldest Specimen of Basilisk in the World. The Great Serpent of Slytherin and the Monster of the Chambers Of Secrets."
After the shock and awe, Aracxus began to discuss in detail the specifications of a Basilisk, as well how breeding a Basilisk was dangerous, if you are not either parseltongue or can care for such aggressive creatures.
Harry was nervous as he came to the new Professor Aracxus' Office. The professor had become the topic of discussion this entire year but he could not bring himself to like this professor, since he was systematically planning to kill Tom and Harry himself.
On the Halloween Night, Harry was told the truth of how Tom wanted to save his life, and gave his life to save him, the day Dumbledore plotted to kill his parents and him.
He was also shown how the soul in Harry was there to protect him, and how it was unable to help because Dumbledore erected wards to prevent anyone finding out about his abuse at the Dursleys.
And then the spy he sent to keep a watch on him got herself killed. Harry never liked the old bint. Something always felt about her, he mused. Her obsession with cats was a little too far gone, and even a young Harry was able to see that.
But Harry was never alone now. Throughout his lessons and all the things he learnt from things spoken and unspoken. He mastered Oclumency to shield his mind from the intruders. He protected his mind just like Tom told him, and he worked hard to protect himself from those who would see to hurt Harry Potter and Tom.
He had seen the plans to kill Dumbledore using the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secret. But that meddling fool DADA Professor had once again put his foot where it doesn't belong. The snake was released from the ritual binding he did, and he saw how even Tom was surprised to see the strength and power of the professor.
He had been powerful Harry thought, but Tom informed him, that he could very well be the most powerful wizard in existence second only to Lord Voldemort of course. Therefore Tom wanted to secure himself and protect both Harry and Tom, by performing a ritual to bind their two souls together.
But before he could go forward, he was called to the DADA Professor's Office by a snake no less.
Tom told him of the professor's ability to speak to snakes, and how he had not used Transfiguration but instead conjured a snake using the spell Tom taught him. Serpent Sortia was it?
But following the snake, he saw the professor setting up something in the room, and he noticed the various odd artefacts in sight. He heard the panicked voice of Tom, and before he could react, he found his body going still, almost as if he was under the Full Body Bind
But He could Escape from the Full Body Bind Curse.
No! What the Dastardly man did was freeze him somehow, that Harry was unable to even call for his magic.
"Tch tch tch! No cheating Harry. We need to repair what was wrong with you for so long. A disease that needs to be excised like a tumour. The soul of Tom has been whispering false lies and unfulfilled promises in your ears. You wouldn't believe me. But I have experience dealing with mental conditioning and bringing them over to my Side. Sleep Boy! When you wake up, you'll feel much much better."
And all Harry felt was soul-rending pain, as he heard a screech and a scream, and he belatedly realised that the scream was his own.
Oh Merlin! Was the wizard finally going to finish what he started?