Armando Dippet, the Headmaster of Hogwarts rushed towards the hospital wing. Professor Dumbledore followed him, and they both looked panic stricken. On reaching the Hospital wing, they saw Professor Eileen Nott, Head of Slytherin house, standing there with an impatient look on her face.
"Oh, good that you're here Armando", she said addressing the Headmaster. "And Albus", she added with a bitter look on her face.
"What is the matter Eileen? I was told to come down here immediately." said Dippet with a confused look on his face.
"It's a student of Slytherin house." said Nott, "she was found near the third floor corridoor today. She was...petrified." "What?" said Dippet half screaming. It wasn't usual for Hogwarts students to be found petrified in corridoors.
"Yes, we heard her scream. I was taking a class with fourth-years when this incident took place." replied Nott.
"I hope these are not the acts of some students." replied a very angry Dippet.
"I did see some Gryffindors passing by when I was walking towards the third floor corridoor." said Nott in a suspicious voice.
Dumbledore looked at Nott with his eyebrows raised and was about to say something in defence when Dippet spoke up.
"We must ask the mediwizard what kind of magic has been used on this student. We will soon get to know who or what has caused these attacks." he said.
All three of them walked inside the hospital wing and went towards the mediwizard's desk where he was sitting and looking hopelessly at few bottles of verious reviving potions. The look on his face suggested that this was not a normal accident that had taken place.
"Whats wrong Nicholas?" asked Dumbledore.
"Albus, this is not a very normal accident. It might be an attack, with intentions to kill, I see that the girl is neither dead nor living. It's confusing, very confusing. I do suspect someithing/i. But its too early to jump to any possible conclusions." said Nicholas Flamel, the extremely old looking mediwizard who worked at Hogwarts.
"Eileen thinks that this is the attack of a student." said Dippet.
" Of course not." replied Flamel."No student would have such a severe grudge against any of their fellow students." he said.
"Even if they are in different houses." added Dumbledore looking at Nott's expression.
"Does that explain the Gryffindors that I saw walking past?" said Nott.
"I assure you that no Gryffindor has done any such thing." replied Dumbledore.
"Don't give me assurance of a house which you don't head Albus." shot back Nott. She was obviously very angry to be proven wrong.
"Being head of Ravenclaw house I give you the assurance that no Ravenclaw has done any such thing. And the assurance I gave you from Gryffindor's side, would have been exactly what Minerva would have done." replied Dumbledore, as calm as ever.
"But Minerva isn't here-" said Nott but Dumbledore cut her off, "BUT, I will not indulge into Gryffindor and Slytherin matters any more." he said.
"Now that you both have stopped arguing, can we get back to discussing whats wrong in the school?" asked Dippet, obviously knowing the answer and not waiting for one.
"Headmaster, we cannot really know whats wrong untill something else like this happens." replied Flamel.
"So, we will wait for another student's life to get ruined and then sort out this matter?" said Dippet. This would obiviously risk his job, otherwise he had no interest to get invovled into such matters because he really didn't bother what happened to the students. He was just acting concerned so that he wouldn't lose his job. Another attack would mean the loss of his job for sure.
"Yes, unfortunately, we will have to wait." replied Flamel.
" For how long..approximately?" asked Eileen. She was incharge of all the Slytherin students and if anything happened to them it was her responsibility. This one was a pureblood of a highly respected family and her parents would come to the school the next day and complain. She was sure about that.
"So, now what shall we do about it?" she asked again.
"Wait." said Flamel with a sigh.
Ten days later Narcissa Black lay in the hospital wing in the same state as she had been bought in there. Petrified. She had been exploring around the school a little bit. She has overheard her parents talking about something on the third floor coridoor and she had decided to see what it was. Rodolphus' parents had also told him something about it, not in detail though, he was trying to ask them in his letters that he was forced to send to them weekly.
The only thing they had known was that it was related to Slytherin and it was a secret chamber located on the third floor. Though they weren't sure about the third floor part, Narcissa had just assumed it as she had heard the number three in her parent's secret conversation.
But when she was just halfway finished with her exploring, she had heard something coming towards her. She wasn't sure who it was or what it was, but then she had finally seen it, and it wasn't good that she had.
"What?!" exaclaimed Armando Dippet, "another attack? Who is the victim this time?" he asked, getting even more tensed. It had been three months since the last student had gotten attacked. He had finally gotten some hope that there was no problem in the school. But now a new attack had taken place.
"Yes Sir, " said Eileen Nott,"another attack has taken place, and this time also the victim is a Slytherin. I am very sure that it's someone who has a grudge against the Slytherins." she added in a teary voice. She was trying her best to convince Dippet that it was the acts of a Gryffindor, this way she could blame it all on that house and not be misunderstood for being careless with students.
" But that girl-" said Dippet.
" Ms. Black." said Nott cutting him off and inquiring him of the last victim's name.
"Yes, Ms. Black, where was she found?" he asked.
"Third floor." said Nott in a knowing tone.
" And, you said that this boy has been attacked at the same place?" he said trying to figure out something.
"Yes," put in Albus Dumbledore who had been standing quitely all this while, "but it could be a co-incidence, it's been three months since the last attack and the thing or person could have forgotten it by now."
he said.
"Why Albus, you seem to know a lot about the person." said Nott.
" I am assuming everything I said." replied Dumbledore.
" Will you two stop arguing for few minutes?" shouted Dippet.
He was obviously very angry right now, his anger came out in the tone of voice that he spoke in. Both of them nodded in unison.
"Let's go down to see what the mediwizard has to say about this attack." said Dippet and started walking towards the exit of the office.
The both followed him and then they walked towards the hospital wing without arguing even once.
" Nicholas, what have you found out about this attack? " asked Dippet.
" That it is the attack of the same...thing." said Flamel in a low voice.
" Thing? " asked Dippet, sounding a bit surprised.
"Nicholas.. by thing, I hope you don't mean... " said Dumbledore, his voice trailing off.
" Yes, it could be that Albus. But I am not saying for sure right now. I only have one piece which fits in this puzzle." said Flamel.
" And what is that? " asked Dumbledore.
" Come here. This boy's eyes, they are fully shut, and he hasn't suffered as severe a damage as this girl has, her eyes are partly shut." he said.
" This makes a lot of sense if put together." said Eileen.
" It does Eileen." said Dumbledore politely.
" Yes Eileen, " agreed Flamel, " but we aren't jumping to any conclusions yet, though I think we might be right with what we've figured out till now." he added.
" Will either of you bother to tell us what you have figured out? " asked Dippet in a fed-up tone.
" Headmaster, neither of us are sure of what we have figured out. But what all of us are sure are is that Salazar Slytherin had a very famous pet, a snake that he named Basilisk." said Dumbledore.
" Yes," said Eileen," but why drag Slytherin into this?" " You are not getting our point Eileen" said Flamel, " all we are trying to say is, that this might be the act of a Basilisk."
" So you are blaming it on one of the great founders of Hogwarts. " she argued.
" We are not blaming it on Slytherin, if thats what you mean. But yes, we are blaming it on Slytherin's Basilisk, which I am sure, in no way, was one of the great founders of Hogwarts. " said Dumbledore.
Eileen Nott looked taken aback by Dumbledore's answer and continued speaking pretending to completely ignore his last statement.
" Albus does not know what caused this attack Headmaster. " she said.
" Eileen," said Flamel, " I think Albus is right."
" Are you sure, Nicholas and Albus, that these are both the attacks of a Basilisk? " asked Dippet in a curious voice.
" No one is " replied Dumbledore.
Tom Riddle lay awake in his bed, staring at the ceiling. He had finally figured out why Narcissa Black had been missing since many days, months actually. Three. The scream he had heard on his birthday while sitting on the third floor was Narcissa's. This news had reached the Slytherin's two days after Narcissa was attacked, but since no one talked to him now, he had no sources of information.
He had only gotten to know when he had overheard some Gryffindors talking about it. He might have never heard the new otherwise. Since the attack on Narcissa the Slytherins had been cold and distant towards him, and since the attack on Daniel Zabini, they had completely ignored the fact that he existed.
Tom woke up on Christmas morning, feeling happy and cheerful, unlike what he had been in the past few months. He jumped out of his bed expecting to see his small but annual pile of Christmas presents, but he saw nothing. He looked everywhere, but he didn't even find Christmas card for him. He guessed that he had been forgotten back at the Orphanage, and without knowing that it had shut down, he had already developed a strong hate for everyone back there.
Dear Rodolphus
Your mother and I talked about it and thought that it would be best if you stay at Hogwarts for these holidays. We have made up our minds and are not going to change them. The two attacks have labelled Hogwarts as unsafe but the reason we wan't you to stay there is important.
Merry Christmas.
p.s.- The third floor.
Tom found this letter ten days after it had flown under his bed. He had been looking for his Charms homework and had found this under his bed. Even though it wasn't addressed to him, he had read it.
Looking at the letter he could make out that it was from Rodolphus' father.
On the back of the letter was scribbled in Rodolphus' writing a list of things he wanted for Christmas. A Dark Arts book, the way to the Secret Chamber, a dark Detector and a pack of Stink Pellets. Tom was reading all this and laughing, Rodolphus was a pampered brat and he probably would have gotten everything that he had asked for in that list. Suddenly, Tom saw Rodolphus enter the room, he quickly placed the letter beneath his Transfiguration text book. Rodolphus went towards his bed and started counting his presents in a loud voice, "Sixteen" he finally said. Tom had been seeing Rodolphus count his presents since Christmas " Looks like someone hasn't gotten any presents at all. " he said even louder and for about the hundredth time in the past ten days.
Tom knew too well who Rodolphus meant by someone since he was the only one in the room besides Rodolphus and as he has been taunted with that statement before also.
" Looks like someone needs to take more care of what their father sends them. " he said as loudly as Rodolphus, throwing the letter on the floor.
"Where did you get that from?!" asked an astonished Rodolphus, " Dare you read my letters again." he warned.
" Well, next time don't leave them under my bed then. " said Tom. With that he stormed out of the room and then out of the Common Room.
After coming out of the Common Room he decided to just wander around the school for some time.
He had just walked for a few minutes when he found himself on the third floor again. He wondered why his feet always took him there, as he stood staring at the wall. He heard a slithering sound come from behind and he turned back to see a humungous snake coming towards him.
He was so shocked that he felt his feet had plastered to the ground and he was unable to move.
When the snake finally reached near Tom, and was only a few feet away, it lowered its head till it was level with Tom's. Tom looked into the snake's big, glowing red eyes, and felt a weird sensation in his arm. He gasped as he saw the snake move neared making hissing sounds.
The most surprising thing was yet to come, after a few moments, the snake spoke
"Master," it said, " I finally meet the master, I finally meet the heir of Slytherin."
"Oh, good that you're here Armando", she said addressing the Headmaster. "And Albus", she added with a bitter look on her face.
"What is the matter Eileen? I was told to come down here immediately." said Dippet with a confused look on his face.
"It's a student of Slytherin house." said Nott, "she was found near the third floor corridoor today. She was...petrified." "What?" said Dippet half screaming. It wasn't usual for Hogwarts students to be found petrified in corridoors.
"Yes, we heard her scream. I was taking a class with fourth-years when this incident took place." replied Nott.
"I hope these are not the acts of some students." replied a very angry Dippet.
"I did see some Gryffindors passing by when I was walking towards the third floor corridoor." said Nott in a suspicious voice.
Dumbledore looked at Nott with his eyebrows raised and was about to say something in defence when Dippet spoke up.
"We must ask the mediwizard what kind of magic has been used on this student. We will soon get to know who or what has caused these attacks." he said.
All three of them walked inside the hospital wing and went towards the mediwizard's desk where he was sitting and looking hopelessly at few bottles of verious reviving potions. The look on his face suggested that this was not a normal accident that had taken place.
"Whats wrong Nicholas?" asked Dumbledore.
"Albus, this is not a very normal accident. It might be an attack, with intentions to kill, I see that the girl is neither dead nor living. It's confusing, very confusing. I do suspect someithing/i. But its too early to jump to any possible conclusions." said Nicholas Flamel, the extremely old looking mediwizard who worked at Hogwarts.
"Eileen thinks that this is the attack of a student." said Dippet.
" Of course not." replied Flamel."No student would have such a severe grudge against any of their fellow students." he said.
"Even if they are in different houses." added Dumbledore looking at Nott's expression.
"Does that explain the Gryffindors that I saw walking past?" said Nott.
"I assure you that no Gryffindor has done any such thing." replied Dumbledore.
"Don't give me assurance of a house which you don't head Albus." shot back Nott. She was obviously very angry to be proven wrong.
"Being head of Ravenclaw house I give you the assurance that no Ravenclaw has done any such thing. And the assurance I gave you from Gryffindor's side, would have been exactly what Minerva would have done." replied Dumbledore, as calm as ever.
"But Minerva isn't here-" said Nott but Dumbledore cut her off, "BUT, I will not indulge into Gryffindor and Slytherin matters any more." he said.
"Now that you both have stopped arguing, can we get back to discussing whats wrong in the school?" asked Dippet, obviously knowing the answer and not waiting for one.
"Headmaster, we cannot really know whats wrong untill something else like this happens." replied Flamel.
"So, we will wait for another student's life to get ruined and then sort out this matter?" said Dippet. This would obiviously risk his job, otherwise he had no interest to get invovled into such matters because he really didn't bother what happened to the students. He was just acting concerned so that he wouldn't lose his job. Another attack would mean the loss of his job for sure.
"Yes, unfortunately, we will have to wait." replied Flamel.
" For how long..approximately?" asked Eileen. She was incharge of all the Slytherin students and if anything happened to them it was her responsibility. This one was a pureblood of a highly respected family and her parents would come to the school the next day and complain. She was sure about that.
"So, now what shall we do about it?" she asked again.
"Wait." said Flamel with a sigh.
Ten days later Narcissa Black lay in the hospital wing in the same state as she had been bought in there. Petrified. She had been exploring around the school a little bit. She has overheard her parents talking about something on the third floor coridoor and she had decided to see what it was. Rodolphus' parents had also told him something about it, not in detail though, he was trying to ask them in his letters that he was forced to send to them weekly.
The only thing they had known was that it was related to Slytherin and it was a secret chamber located on the third floor. Though they weren't sure about the third floor part, Narcissa had just assumed it as she had heard the number three in her parent's secret conversation.
But when she was just halfway finished with her exploring, she had heard something coming towards her. She wasn't sure who it was or what it was, but then she had finally seen it, and it wasn't good that she had.
"What?!" exaclaimed Armando Dippet, "another attack? Who is the victim this time?" he asked, getting even more tensed. It had been three months since the last student had gotten attacked. He had finally gotten some hope that there was no problem in the school. But now a new attack had taken place.
"Yes Sir, " said Eileen Nott,"another attack has taken place, and this time also the victim is a Slytherin. I am very sure that it's someone who has a grudge against the Slytherins." she added in a teary voice. She was trying her best to convince Dippet that it was the acts of a Gryffindor, this way she could blame it all on that house and not be misunderstood for being careless with students.
" But that girl-" said Dippet.
" Ms. Black." said Nott cutting him off and inquiring him of the last victim's name.
"Yes, Ms. Black, where was she found?" he asked.
"Third floor." said Nott in a knowing tone.
" And, you said that this boy has been attacked at the same place?" he said trying to figure out something.
"Yes," put in Albus Dumbledore who had been standing quitely all this while, "but it could be a co-incidence, it's been three months since the last attack and the thing or person could have forgotten it by now."
he said.
"Why Albus, you seem to know a lot about the person." said Nott.
" I am assuming everything I said." replied Dumbledore.
" Will you two stop arguing for few minutes?" shouted Dippet.
He was obviously very angry right now, his anger came out in the tone of voice that he spoke in. Both of them nodded in unison.
"Let's go down to see what the mediwizard has to say about this attack." said Dippet and started walking towards the exit of the office.
The both followed him and then they walked towards the hospital wing without arguing even once.
" Nicholas, what have you found out about this attack? " asked Dippet.
" That it is the attack of the same...thing." said Flamel in a low voice.
" Thing? " asked Dippet, sounding a bit surprised.
"Nicholas.. by thing, I hope you don't mean... " said Dumbledore, his voice trailing off.
" Yes, it could be that Albus. But I am not saying for sure right now. I only have one piece which fits in this puzzle." said Flamel.
" And what is that? " asked Dumbledore.
" Come here. This boy's eyes, they are fully shut, and he hasn't suffered as severe a damage as this girl has, her eyes are partly shut." he said.
" This makes a lot of sense if put together." said Eileen.
" It does Eileen." said Dumbledore politely.
" Yes Eileen, " agreed Flamel, " but we aren't jumping to any conclusions yet, though I think we might be right with what we've figured out till now." he added.
" Will either of you bother to tell us what you have figured out? " asked Dippet in a fed-up tone.
" Headmaster, neither of us are sure of what we have figured out. But what all of us are sure are is that Salazar Slytherin had a very famous pet, a snake that he named Basilisk." said Dumbledore.
" Yes," said Eileen," but why drag Slytherin into this?" " You are not getting our point Eileen" said Flamel, " all we are trying to say is, that this might be the act of a Basilisk."
" So you are blaming it on one of the great founders of Hogwarts. " she argued.
" We are not blaming it on Slytherin, if thats what you mean. But yes, we are blaming it on Slytherin's Basilisk, which I am sure, in no way, was one of the great founders of Hogwarts. " said Dumbledore.
Eileen Nott looked taken aback by Dumbledore's answer and continued speaking pretending to completely ignore his last statement.
" Albus does not know what caused this attack Headmaster. " she said.
" Eileen," said Flamel, " I think Albus is right."
" Are you sure, Nicholas and Albus, that these are both the attacks of a Basilisk? " asked Dippet in a curious voice.
" No one is " replied Dumbledore.
Tom Riddle lay awake in his bed, staring at the ceiling. He had finally figured out why Narcissa Black had been missing since many days, months actually. Three. The scream he had heard on his birthday while sitting on the third floor was Narcissa's. This news had reached the Slytherin's two days after Narcissa was attacked, but since no one talked to him now, he had no sources of information.
He had only gotten to know when he had overheard some Gryffindors talking about it. He might have never heard the new otherwise. Since the attack on Narcissa the Slytherins had been cold and distant towards him, and since the attack on Daniel Zabini, they had completely ignored the fact that he existed.
Tom woke up on Christmas morning, feeling happy and cheerful, unlike what he had been in the past few months. He jumped out of his bed expecting to see his small but annual pile of Christmas presents, but he saw nothing. He looked everywhere, but he didn't even find Christmas card for him. He guessed that he had been forgotten back at the Orphanage, and without knowing that it had shut down, he had already developed a strong hate for everyone back there.
Dear Rodolphus
Your mother and I talked about it and thought that it would be best if you stay at Hogwarts for these holidays. We have made up our minds and are not going to change them. The two attacks have labelled Hogwarts as unsafe but the reason we wan't you to stay there is important.
Merry Christmas.
p.s.- The third floor.
Tom found this letter ten days after it had flown under his bed. He had been looking for his Charms homework and had found this under his bed. Even though it wasn't addressed to him, he had read it.
Looking at the letter he could make out that it was from Rodolphus' father.
On the back of the letter was scribbled in Rodolphus' writing a list of things he wanted for Christmas. A Dark Arts book, the way to the Secret Chamber, a dark Detector and a pack of Stink Pellets. Tom was reading all this and laughing, Rodolphus was a pampered brat and he probably would have gotten everything that he had asked for in that list. Suddenly, Tom saw Rodolphus enter the room, he quickly placed the letter beneath his Transfiguration text book. Rodolphus went towards his bed and started counting his presents in a loud voice, "Sixteen" he finally said. Tom had been seeing Rodolphus count his presents since Christmas " Looks like someone hasn't gotten any presents at all. " he said even louder and for about the hundredth time in the past ten days.
Tom knew too well who Rodolphus meant by someone since he was the only one in the room besides Rodolphus and as he has been taunted with that statement before also.
" Looks like someone needs to take more care of what their father sends them. " he said as loudly as Rodolphus, throwing the letter on the floor.
"Where did you get that from?!" asked an astonished Rodolphus, " Dare you read my letters again." he warned.
" Well, next time don't leave them under my bed then. " said Tom. With that he stormed out of the room and then out of the Common Room.
After coming out of the Common Room he decided to just wander around the school for some time.
He had just walked for a few minutes when he found himself on the third floor again. He wondered why his feet always took him there, as he stood staring at the wall. He heard a slithering sound come from behind and he turned back to see a humungous snake coming towards him.
He was so shocked that he felt his feet had plastered to the ground and he was unable to move.
When the snake finally reached near Tom, and was only a few feet away, it lowered its head till it was level with Tom's. Tom looked into the snake's big, glowing red eyes, and felt a weird sensation in his arm. He gasped as he saw the snake move neared making hissing sounds.
The most surprising thing was yet to come, after a few moments, the snake spoke
"Master," it said, " I finally meet the master, I finally meet the heir of Slytherin."