Chapter 12

Basilisk Quest

The next day, Harry's first class was Transfiguration. He walked in, slightly behind Ron and Hermione, with Sally around his neck.

"Potter, what is that on your neck?"

It took a moment for Harry to figure out what Professor McGonagall was talking about. "You mean Sal? Oh, she's a Garter Snake."

"Yes but," this didn't seem to answer McGonagall's question, as she looked at Sally with an amount of fear in her eyes. "Why do you have it here?"

"She's like my sister." Harry said with a smile, taking his seat by Ron. McGonagall still didn't seem satisfied, but she only pressed her lips together.

When the Ravenclaw students were seated McGonagall began. "Now, when you finish this year of school, you will have passed the half way point of your education. This means, you should start to consider what you want to do with your lives." She paused, as though for effect. "Over Christmas this year, you will be giving a list of classes. These are not required classes, and they meet in the evenings. You should sign up for a class or two that will suit your choice of positions."

"Did you hear that Hermione? One or two." Ron stopped quickly when McGonagall and Hermione both gave him looks that mirrored each other.

McGonagall continued. "A new class being offered this year that I encourage all of you to take is the parenting class, being taught by Professor Deleve. For homework you will all be writing me a twelve inch essay on what you wish to do, and we will make suggestions on the classes you take." She ignored the groans from many in the class. "Today we will be taking a review test to see what we remember from last year." More groans followed as she passed out the test.

Harry breezed through his test, having reread last years text book over the summer and read this years. He had read most of the books out loud to Sally, who was very good at memorizing spells.

As Harry waited for the rest of the students to finish, there was a knock on the door. McGonagall opened it to reveal Professor Dumbledore, and Ginny.

"Professor?"

"Good Morning Minnie. I see we are just finishing up a test."

"Why yes. How can I help you?"

"Well you see Minnie, Miss. Weasley and Mr. Potter brought an interesting point to Professor Snape's attention yesterday. There is a rotting Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets, and we are letting it go to waist. So, as Mr. Potter's, er, talents are needed to get down there, I thought his class would be perfect to come and harvest the ingredients. And as Mr. Longbottom just finished his last question, we are all finished our test, and have a full hour. That is if you have no objections, Professor McGonagall."

Her lips thinned once more, but she shook her head 'no'.

"All right then, class we are going on a field trip. Please follow your guides, Miss. Weasley and Mr. Potter, and we will go learn some history while benefiting many people in the magical community." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.

The class stood, and started to walk out of the class room. Harry caught Ginny's eye. This is not what he had in mind, and from what he could tell, her either.

"Lead the way."

Ginny and Harry started out for Myrtle's bathroom. When they entered, Myrtle looked up. "Oh, it's you." She said, her eyes falling on Harry and Ginny.

"Hello Myrtle." The boys in the class felt rather uncomfortable in the girls bathroom. Harry turned to Dumbledore, who had a small smile on his face. "Professor, the way down is a little, ah, slimy."

"I hope you haven't worn your good robes, class." His smile made Harry feel more comfortable. He turned to face the sink and all the members of the class tried to get a better look at him.

"Open," he hissed. The class gasped as the sink disappeared.

"What did you say?" Neville asked.

"I said open."

Harry didn't want Ginny alone down there, remembering what happened the last time. "I'll go first, Gin after me, and then you can all follow." Harry pulled himself up into the pipe and let go. He noticed it wasn't as slimy, and by the time all the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw forth years, Ginny, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Dumbledore all slid down there would be no slime left.

Ginny was right behind him, and Professor Dumbledore behind her, Hermione and Ron just behind him. The rest of the students came, and Professor McGonagall brought up the rear. She stood and brushed herself off, and her eyes fell on the large amount of rock that remained from the collapse.

"My, what happened there?"

Harry looked behind at the rocks. "That's were the rocks collapsed when Lockhart tried to wipe our memories, and his spell backfired. It's re-collapsed since then. It was all the way to the top Ron and Lockhart were on this side, and I was on the other. While I kept going, Ron started moving rock so we could get back through."

"Though I do enjoy a good climb now and then, I highly doubt my bones are up to this one. What do you say we do away with this little obstacle?" Dumbledore asked pulling his wand out.

When nobody objected, he gave the wand a wave, and the rocks disappeared. Harry looked up, and noticed the large cracks had been mended too. He led the way forward, Ginny right beside him. The cave twisted and turned, and the group walked on, when suddenly there was a scream.

"SNAKE! I saw a snake!" Lavender shouted. They all turned to look at her.

"There are no snakes down here." Harry said loudly. "Besides Sal, and the dead Basilisk. Basilisks are enemies to all snakes, magical or not. They all avoid this place, and all magical snakes felt it when the last Basilisk died, but only Sally will come down here, and only when she's with me."

"Oh," Lavender said quietly, blushing.

Harry turned, and continued walking. He noticed Ginny looked pale. "Are you okay?" he hissed softly in Parseltongue.

She nodded, taking a deep breath. Harry took her hand in his, which seemed to help calm her. Hermione noticed the action with a smirk, and was glad she was the only one to see it.

They soon reached the solid wall with the entwined serpents. "They look so real." McGonagall said in wonder.

Harry nodded. "It takes a lot of practice to be able to switch from English to Parseltongue. The only way Riddle could do it was if he was face to face with a live snake. That's why these were made to look real, and why there is a snake scratched into the tap upstairs."

"I hope you are all listening to this." Dumbledore said seriously. "Parselmouths may be rare now, but especially if the gift is hereditary, we may see a few more in the next ten years or so."

Harry blushed slightly, realized Dumbledore meant his children would probably be Parselmouths. The idea had never crossed Harry's mind. Of course, he had never thought about having children. He looked up at the snakes.

"Open," he hissed. The wall split, sliding away, and the class gasped. Harry and Ginny walked forward.

"Merlin's beard, Har," Ron said looking around. "You must have been scared shitless coming though here alone."

Everybody was so eager to hear Harry's response that Professor McGonagall didn't even bother to scold Ron for his choice of language.

Harry gave a small chuckle. "Well, I do remember a few times I thought one of these hunks of stone moved." He shook his head. "It felt like they were looking at me."

"No kidding!" Seamus exclaimed, with a shudder. "Those things look like they're 'bout ready to bite your head off. Little Ginny's lucky it was you. If it were me I'd be runnin' fast as my feet'd carry me in the other direction."

Harry laughed with everybody else, but continued forward. "It's just ahead, and you might want to hold your nose. It's been rotting for two years, you know."

They reached that statue of Salazar Slytherin, the Basilisk dead at it's feet. The class, Professor McGonagall, and even Professor Dumbledore, were speechless.

"Harry!" Hermione cried at last. "You killed that thing?!"

"Cool it Hermione. I had Godric's sword, it's not like I did it with my bare hands. And I had Fawkes, I owe my life to him."

Dean was examining the Basilisk. "Hey Harry, where's it's other fang?"

Harry pulled his sleeve up past his elbow. There was a large patch of scar tissue. He pointed to a spot beside the wall. "Pulled it out of my arm somewhere over there, I don't remember it to clearly, sorry."

"I don't remember it to clearly, sorry." Ron did a very good impression of him. "Sorry? Harry, you were dying, I think it's okay if you don't remember every detail."

"So what's it feel like to die, Harry?" Seamus asked.

"Luckily, I can't tell you Seamus."

"Okay, so what's it feel like to almost die?"

"Everything goes foggy, and the world seems to dissolve. Things get really slow, like time is slowing down. That's the best way to describe it."

Dumbledore was walking around the Basilisk. "Yes, this is going to be very good. NOW CLASS, LISTEN UP! Don't touch the fangs. There is still venom in them. The eyes are pierced. Fawkes did a nice job there, so you don't need to worry about being petrified, or worse. We need to save every bit of this we can, because there may never be another."

"EWWWWW! EW! EW! That's BLOOD!" a Ravenclaw girl shouted pointing at a spot near the wall.

"DUDE!" Dean said rushing forward. "Is it the snakes, or Harry's?"

Harry glanced over at it. "Mine," he said simply. "Professor, do we do this?"

"Well, I needed to see it first, before I could figure out what to do. Right now, let's take care of the fangs. They are the most dangerous part." Professor Dumbledore walked forward to the spot where Dean and Seamus stood. In the middle of a bright red stain on the floor was a fang that was red at the tip, but white at the top.

Dumbledore took out his wand, and floated the fang in the air. He then waved it again and two objects appeared on the floor. One Harry recognized at once. It was Godric's sword, the other was a long empty case.

"What?" Dumbledore whispered. He opened the empty case, and placed the fang into it, and then turned to the sword. "How on earth did this get here? Very well, I'll just send it back to the office." He pointed his wand at it. "Nevynio!"

The sword disappeared, and then reappeared three feet away from where it had fist been. Dumbledore looked confused. "Nevynio!" he shouted again.

This time the sword reappeared right in front of Harry. "NEVYNIO!"

The sword disappeared, then reappeared floating in mid air above Harry. The sword was in a sheath. It rotated in the air. The sheath was made of what could be recognized as black dragon hide. Large scarlet rubies spelled out the name Godric Gryffindor. On each side of the name was a lion. The body made of amber stones, the mane and tip of tail the same rubies as the name, and bright green sapphires as the eyes.

The sword's rotating became spinning. It was engulfed by a large scarlet light. Then with a bang that made the class scream, the light disappeared, the sword stopped spinning, and there was something decidedly different about it. The words Godric Gryffindor now read Harry Potter.

Dumbledore looked at the sword for a moment, then at Harry. Harry stared at the sword, completely shocked.

"Godric Gryffindor," Dumbledore said slowly, "had magic much stronger then mine. I believe this is his doing. A spell on his sword, suddenly activated for some reason." He walked forward, and reached out to take the sword out of the air, but it jerked away toward Harry. The strap of the sheath floated up over Harry's head, and lowered down on him. Then it stop floating, and hung from Harry's shoulder.

Harry, eyes wide, looked at Dumbledore.

"Professor, what just happened?"

"I believe the sword has," he paused, "chosen you. It must be a spell of Godric's, but why I'm not sure."

Meanwhile, miles away in a small town.

Seven year old Nathan ran in to the woods. It wasn't his fault! Things like that just happened around him. He would give anything to make them stop.

There was a noise to his right, he jerked around. A short, pudgy man emerged from the bushes. The last thing Nathan saw was a long, straight, stick in the man's hand.