This chapter: The trio and Ael's group research about the basilisk. Ael decides to do some independant study and tracking. Werewolf senses get a good workout.
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Chapter Five - The Howling
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"Find anything yet?"
Hermione looked up as Ael approached her. "Nothing yet," she admitted reluctantly. "But then, we haven't been searching long."
Ael snorted. *'Haven't been searching long' my tail. Only three hours.* She didn't say this out loud, however, and plunked down in a somewhat plush armchair near the fireplace in Gryffindor Tower. After hearing the disconcerting voice in the walls, the group of first-years had gone with the Trio to the library and checked out all the books they could find on basilisks, parselmouths, and Salazar Slytherin. It didn't help that throughout the entire time, the parselmouths in the group (namely Harry and Ael, but Kat could understand it even if she couldn't speak it) could hear the voice hissing continuously about protecting its blades...*whatever -that- means,* Ael grumbled silently.
["Bladesss...protect bladesss..."] the voice whispered again.
*Okay, that's enough,* she decided. "I'll be right back," Ael said, following the voice with her eyes. Before Hermione could object, or even alert Harry, she'd disappeared out the Fat Lady's portrait.
Outside the Tower, the voice began to move away quickly. Ael had to jog to keep up, and even so, it pulled ahead.
["Protect bladesss..."]
The voice seemed to be racing her to an out-of-order girls' lavatory. She put on a burst of speed, skidding around the corner into the room. She caught a glimpse of something large and scaly darting out of sight behind a sink, but as she circled it she couldn't find anything unusual.
She bent downward and sniffed. Long ago, she could smell, Harry and Ron had been here - even longer back, so was Hermione. Overpowering even the scents of thousands of girls was the coppery tang of blood, and the hot, foul stench of snake.
As she sniffed again, she caught the bitter smell of ink and waterlogged parchment. Within these scents lurked something foul, as if it was rotting - which, she belatedly realized, must be the very scent of Tom Riddle.
"What are you doing?"
Ael jumped in surprise - it wasn't often that she couldn't smell, if not hear, someone coming. But as she sought out the speaker, she understood why she hadn't. "Hello, Myrtle."
The miserable-looking ghost was hovering over a cubicle door. She eyed Ael suspiciously. "I asked you a question."
"I'm looking for snakes," Ael replied evasively.
"Looks more like you were smelling the sink," Myrtle countered.
"Oh...er..." Ael figured the ghost wouldn't blab anything. "I'm a werewolf. I can track things by scent."
"A werewolf? That's scary!" Myrtle shuddered. "You aren't going to -bite- anyone are you?"
"No," Ael tried to reassure her, but Myrtle obviously didn't believe it as she had taken refuge in the nearest U-bend.
Ael stared at it, then rolled her eyes. "Not like you can bite someone who's already dead," she muttered to the empty room.
~~~~~~
"Find what you were looking for?" Harry asked as Ael re-entered the Tower.
Ael shook her head. "Not exactly. I followed the snake's voice all the way to Myrtle's bathroom, but it wasn't in there."
The Trio exchanged significant glances with each other. "The Chamber," Ron said. Harry nodded.
"The Chamber of Secrets?" Ael interrupted. At their incredulous stares, she shrugged. "My brother talks. A lot."
Harry closed his eyes, and as Ael began to smell Tom Riddle, he hissed. ["The entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is hidden in that bathroom," he said in parseltongue. "I killed the basilisk, or at least a basilisk down there five years ago. Do not go down there. It isn't safe."]
Ael hissed in displeasure, but nodded.
~~~~~~
"Tjen shebi kheper maa'et! A basilisk?"
It was the morning after Ael's trip to Myrtle's bathroom. Kat, Khense, Chris, Aislin, Connemara, and Ael were gathered in the school courtyard. Ael had just finished explaining all she'd seen and heard about the mysterious voice.
"Yes, Khense," Kat said patiently. "That is what she said."
Khense looked somewhat embarrassed by his outburst. "Right. I was just, er, surprised."
Connemara snorted, horse-like, in amusement. "Around the Terrific Trio? You really shouldn't be."
"The point is," Chris interrupted, "there's a potentially deadly, demented snake slithering about the school, and we know where it lives. Shouldn't we do something about this? Go after it, perhaps?"
Ael shook her head. "Several problems with that. First, we hardly know any good defensive spells. Kat and I might stand a chance, but if it is a basilisk, our so-called 'Dark' natures won't help much. Second, the professors can handle it. Third, I promised Harry we wouldn't." She sighed. "If, later in the year, the snake is still around, I'll break my promise to Harry, but I refuse to drag any of you into it. If anyone goes with me, they'll need to be able to help - so let's all study extra-hard, just in case."
~
TBC...
~
Chapter Five - The Howling
~
"Find anything yet?"
Hermione looked up as Ael approached her. "Nothing yet," she admitted reluctantly. "But then, we haven't been searching long."
Ael snorted. *'Haven't been searching long' my tail. Only three hours.* She didn't say this out loud, however, and plunked down in a somewhat plush armchair near the fireplace in Gryffindor Tower. After hearing the disconcerting voice in the walls, the group of first-years had gone with the Trio to the library and checked out all the books they could find on basilisks, parselmouths, and Salazar Slytherin. It didn't help that throughout the entire time, the parselmouths in the group (namely Harry and Ael, but Kat could understand it even if she couldn't speak it) could hear the voice hissing continuously about protecting its blades...*whatever -that- means,* Ael grumbled silently.
["Bladesss...protect bladesss..."] the voice whispered again.
*Okay, that's enough,* she decided. "I'll be right back," Ael said, following the voice with her eyes. Before Hermione could object, or even alert Harry, she'd disappeared out the Fat Lady's portrait.
Outside the Tower, the voice began to move away quickly. Ael had to jog to keep up, and even so, it pulled ahead.
["Protect bladesss..."]
The voice seemed to be racing her to an out-of-order girls' lavatory. She put on a burst of speed, skidding around the corner into the room. She caught a glimpse of something large and scaly darting out of sight behind a sink, but as she circled it she couldn't find anything unusual.
She bent downward and sniffed. Long ago, she could smell, Harry and Ron had been here - even longer back, so was Hermione. Overpowering even the scents of thousands of girls was the coppery tang of blood, and the hot, foul stench of snake.
As she sniffed again, she caught the bitter smell of ink and waterlogged parchment. Within these scents lurked something foul, as if it was rotting - which, she belatedly realized, must be the very scent of Tom Riddle.
"What are you doing?"
Ael jumped in surprise - it wasn't often that she couldn't smell, if not hear, someone coming. But as she sought out the speaker, she understood why she hadn't. "Hello, Myrtle."
The miserable-looking ghost was hovering over a cubicle door. She eyed Ael suspiciously. "I asked you a question."
"I'm looking for snakes," Ael replied evasively.
"Looks more like you were smelling the sink," Myrtle countered.
"Oh...er..." Ael figured the ghost wouldn't blab anything. "I'm a werewolf. I can track things by scent."
"A werewolf? That's scary!" Myrtle shuddered. "You aren't going to -bite- anyone are you?"
"No," Ael tried to reassure her, but Myrtle obviously didn't believe it as she had taken refuge in the nearest U-bend.
Ael stared at it, then rolled her eyes. "Not like you can bite someone who's already dead," she muttered to the empty room.
~~~~~~
"Find what you were looking for?" Harry asked as Ael re-entered the Tower.
Ael shook her head. "Not exactly. I followed the snake's voice all the way to Myrtle's bathroom, but it wasn't in there."
The Trio exchanged significant glances with each other. "The Chamber," Ron said. Harry nodded.
"The Chamber of Secrets?" Ael interrupted. At their incredulous stares, she shrugged. "My brother talks. A lot."
Harry closed his eyes, and as Ael began to smell Tom Riddle, he hissed. ["The entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is hidden in that bathroom," he said in parseltongue. "I killed the basilisk, or at least a basilisk down there five years ago. Do not go down there. It isn't safe."]
Ael hissed in displeasure, but nodded.
~~~~~~
"Tjen shebi kheper maa'et! A basilisk?"
It was the morning after Ael's trip to Myrtle's bathroom. Kat, Khense, Chris, Aislin, Connemara, and Ael were gathered in the school courtyard. Ael had just finished explaining all she'd seen and heard about the mysterious voice.
"Yes, Khense," Kat said patiently. "That is what she said."
Khense looked somewhat embarrassed by his outburst. "Right. I was just, er, surprised."
Connemara snorted, horse-like, in amusement. "Around the Terrific Trio? You really shouldn't be."
"The point is," Chris interrupted, "there's a potentially deadly, demented snake slithering about the school, and we know where it lives. Shouldn't we do something about this? Go after it, perhaps?"
Ael shook her head. "Several problems with that. First, we hardly know any good defensive spells. Kat and I might stand a chance, but if it is a basilisk, our so-called 'Dark' natures won't help much. Second, the professors can handle it. Third, I promised Harry we wouldn't." She sighed. "If, later in the year, the snake is still around, I'll break my promise to Harry, but I refuse to drag any of you into it. If anyone goes with me, they'll need to be able to help - so let's all study extra-hard, just in case."
~
TBC...