Chapter Fifteen: The Heir of Lochmaree and Mungo's Reward
Mungo, finally tiring, stopped running and started walking quickly. He was beginning to wonder when the tunnel would end, when he suddenly came upon an opening. It was small, and he had to get down on his hands and knees to get through it.
When he got out, he was stunned by what he was presented with. It was a huge room, with tall pillars intertwined with life-like serpents. Mungo was on the edge of a green pool of water, on one side of a huge stone something. There was a girl on the floor before it, as well as an old book. But what drew Mungo's attention was neither of these, but a young man, maybe seventeen years old. He was very misty, but not misty enough to be a ghost. Mungo thought this was very odd, but then quite suddenly he wasn't given time to think about anything. Potter emerged from another tunnel, and knelt beside the girl.
"Yes, Potter. The process is almost complete. In a few minutes, Ginny Weasley will be dead. And I shall cease to be a memory. Lord Voldemort will return. Very much alive." The boy said. Mungo gasped, clutching the rock for support. Whoever this boy, this memory, was, this was You-Know-Who.
Just when he thought he couldn't get any more terrified, the basilisk suddenly burst from the water, lunging at Potter. He fell down, near a tatty old hat that Mungo only just noticed. It was the Sorting Hat, Mungo realized. And, for some reason, sticking out of it was the handle of a jeweled sword. Harry grabbed it, and started climbing the stone thing that Mungo was standing next too. Mungo started to run out, but his foot slipped and he fell into the water.
It was total mayhem in there. The thick coils of the basilisk churned the water, buffeting Mungo here and there. It was all Mungo could do to keep hold of his breath, his wand slipped out soon afterwards.
Mungo fought his way to the surface, and took a deep breath. He caught a frenzied glimpse of Potter standing on top of a stone statue of a bearded face, and the basilisk swaying high above the water. A powerful current pulled Mungo down again, and once again he was lost in a chaotic struggle to survive. He was pressed against the thick scaly body of the basilisk, which gave a sudden agonized twist and bashed Mungo against the edge of the pool. Mungo started seeing black.
With one last frantic effort, Mungo pushed himself towards the surface. He broke it, and gulped air gratefully. The black cleared from his eyes, and he quickly heaved himself onto the shore.
Mungo turned about to look at his situation. The basilisk was dead, lying on its back on the edge of the pool. The memory of the boy, You-Know-Who, was saying,
"You'll be with your dear Mudblood mother soon, Harry."
Potter was kneeling next to Ginny, with one of the basilisk's fangs in his hand. He was coated with blood, and looked very ill. Mungo gasped in realization- Potter had been bitten: he was dying.
Mungo sat down in sorrow. He didn't think he could bear any more of it.
"Funny, isn't it? The damage a silly little book can do. Especially in the hands of a silly, little girl." You-Know-Who said.
Potter looked at Ginny. Suddenly, he grabbed the book and flipped it open onto the floor. He poised the fang above it, and You-Know-Who started.
"What are you doing? No! Stop!" he exclaimed, moving forward. Potter's arm swung down, impaling the book with the fang.
You-Know-Who stopped, hunched over in agony. Mungo stared. You-Know-Who had a hole in his face, from which light was streaming. Roaring in agony, You-Know-Who lurched forward again, but Potter stabbed the book again, and another hole appeared. The holes started spreading, with You-Know-Who screaming. Suddenly, the figure exploded in a firework of golden sparks.
Something clacked against the edge where Mungo was. Mungo looked at it, and saw that it was his wand, floating on the water. Mungo gratefully snatched it up, and looked back at Potter. He was looking very ill now, and Ginny had recovered. There was also a bright red and yellow bird, standing with its head over Harry's arm. Mungo recognized it as a phoenix, and gasped. He had always wanted to see a phoenix, and now that he saw it, he felt that his desire was well warranted. It was the most beautiful bird he had ever seen.
Mungo quietly turned around, and left the Chamber by the way he had come in. He somehow felt that he should leave at that moment- his presence wasn't needed.
Mungo walked through the tunnel, and came upon a hole he hadn't noticed. It led to a long, rocky tunnel. At the end of it was a small bit of light that Mungo recognized as daylight.
"Tha's a sight fer weary eyes." Mungo muttered hoarsely to himself. He clambered into the tunnel, and started walking along it.
The rocks were very rough, and hard on Mungo's tired feet. He had to stop several times to give his aching feet a rest.
A strange, warbling bird-song came, and Mungo's heart leapt with hope. He stood up, and looked down the tunnel. Coming up it was the phoenix, with Potter, Ginny, Weasley, and Professor Lockhart all trailing after it like a string. Mungo started leaping up and down and waving his arms.
"Hey! O'er here! Help!" He shouted. However, at that moment Professor Lockhart yelled out,
"AMAZING! AMAZING! THIS IS JUST LIKE MAGIC!" completely drowning out Mungo's voice. In a few seconds, the phoenix and all the people had flown over his head, and were far out of reach and were out of sight before Mungo could do anything at all.
Mungo gaped in dumbfounded astonishment.
"Whoe'er wants t' join the "Anti-Lockhart Defense League," raise yer hand." Mungo grumbled angrily. He thrust his hand into the air, and trudged wearily on. At least his robes were a bit dryer.
Mungo emerged in a rocky outcropping near the Quidditch pitch. He breathed the fresh wind in gratefully, and the magical normality.
"Oy! Mungo! Over here!" a voice suddenly shouted. Mungo started, and looked around.
"Up here!" The voice shouted. Mungo looked up, and saw Duncan hanging by his robes on a wooden spar of the stands.
"What the devil are ye dooin' up there, Duncan?"
"I was going to Professor McGonagall, like you told me too, when Peeves appeared and shoved me into the Vanishing Cabinet. Then I appeared here, stuck. And here I've stayed for hours. Do you know, I think some of those owls laughed at me. I am glad you got out all right, though." Duncan called out. "What happened?"
"I'll tell ye when I git ye doon, Duncan." Mungo pointed out. He waved his wand, and said, "Wingardium Leviosa!"
Duncan's robe lifted up off the spar, and Mungo lowered Duncan gently down to the ground again. They then walked back to the castle, Mungo telling Duncan about everything that had transpired
"We've been getting wrong all along, then. Potter wasn't the tool or the Heir. It was that rotten little book. I wonder what it was?" Duncan said. "We could ask Dumbledore."
"Dumbledore's goon, Duncan, remember?" Mungo said. He pushed the door of the entrance hall open, and walked in. There wasn't anyone there.
"He came back last night. I was just about to talk to him before Peeves showed up. His office is on the second floor, I know where it is."
Suddenly, a tall, blonde-haired man appeared, in a terrible rage apparently. He had his wand out, and his face was livid.
"Out of my way!" He snarled, pushing Mungo and Duncan to one side as he exited the entrance hall.
"What's his problem?" Duncan growled. "Come one, follow me."
They walked up several flights of stairs. Mungo was beginning to smell, from the sewage. He shuddered at the notion of what Dumbledore would think when he met Mungo. However, it would lend credence to their story, even if it did add aroma.
At the end of a corridor, they saw Dumbledore emerging from a moving staircase. Gratefully, they ran up to him.
They weren't so grateful when Mungo saw the expression on his face. It looked very disappointed.
"Which one of you broke the mirror?"
Duncan shuffled his feet, looking ashamed. Mungo removed his hat and lowered his head.
"I did sir. Duncan bumped me, but it was I who broke th' mirror." Mungo said, shamed. This wasn't what he had wanted to tell Dumbledore, but it was so obviously wrong to break the mirror that Mungo immediately felt very sorry.
"It's amazing to consider that after that, you still managed to battle the basilisk and survive." Dumbledore said, a little warmth entering his voice.
Mungo looked up.
"How did ye knoo?"
"My dear Mungo, there is very little that happens in this school that I don't know. Additionally, you have the highly distinct smell of the pipes of this school, and a basilisk scale tangled in one of your badges." Dumbledore smiled a little bit. "But, I am afraid, that because you broke that mirror, you will indeed have difficulties ahead of you. Many difficulties, indeed."
Mungo nodded, not really knowing what to say. Duncan pitched in.
"I say, what sort of difficulties?" he asked concernedly.
"Well, I'm afraid that it is impossible to say. Misfortune can take many forms. But, you must take as many precautions as you can, Mungo. Most misfortune is, regrettably, dangerous. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go and give the rest of the staff the good news. I've sealed the entrance to the Chamber, no harm shall ever come from there again." Dumbledore turned to go, but Mungo grabbed one sleeve.
"Please, sir, what happened? How did the Chamber of Secrets get open?" Mungo asked.
Dumbledore sighed.
"A student was bewitched by a powerful memory of Tom Riddle. Tom Riddle was the name of Voldemort," Duncan and Mungo twitched a little bit, but listened raptly. "before he became the Dark Lord, and when he was at Hogwarts. He had preserved his memory into his diary, and through it he caught poor Ginny Weasley. She did everything, painted the message on the wall, killed Hagrid's roosters, commanded the basilisk, everything. However, she did it completely against her will, and was not even aware that she was doing so. The diary is destroyed, and all is well again. I recommend you take a quick shower before the feast tonight, Mungo." Dumbledore said, smiling quickly and striding away.
"Well, I suppose that's it." Duncan said. "Let's go." Duncan walked away as well, headed for the Hufflepuff common room.
Mungo stood for a little bit, fingering something in his hand. It was the basilisk scale; it was greenish-purple, and shaped like a leaf. However, something was disturbing him slightly.
He had the feeling he had held it before.
The feast that night was wonderful, with all the Petrified students being cheered by everyone in the whole school. Everyone threw their hats into the air, except for Mungo, who staunchly refused to remove his hat from his head. More perceptive students might have noticed some kind of purple-ish green rock or something pinned to his hat, but they would have made very little of it.
The best part, to Mungo, was when Dumbledore announced that as a special treat, all the school was exempted from exams. Duncan buried his face into his mashed potatoes, upset almost beyond reconciliation. That is, if the reconciliation was weaker than a whole plate of quivering pudding that came for dessert.
The next few days passed like a dream. Mungo decided not to tell anyone of his encounter with the basilisk; they would not have believed him, and would claim that he was just jealous of Potter. However, there was one person he wanted to tell, even if she wouldn't believe him.
Mungo found Neoni in the library the day before term ended. She was reading a red book at a table, completely engrossed. Mungo uncomfortably sat down in front of her, and cleared his throat. She looked up.
"Oh, hi, Mungo." She said.
"Erm… Listen, Neoni, I've goot a rather odd thing t' tell ye." Mungo said. Then, dreading he would stall if he didn't keep on talking, he launched into his story of how he had fought the basilisk. To Mungo's amazement, she didn't call Mungo anything, but she nodded.
"Well, that was brave of you. I don't doubt you at all. I'd have done the same thing, if I could have." Neoni said. "And, apparently, your great-great-great-great grandfather would have, too."
"What?" Mungo said, confused.
"Look," Neoni said, turning the book around and giving it to Mungo.
On the left-hand page was a picture of a wizard in red robes, with his wand raised in a combative posture. Opposite him in the picture was a vicious-looking basilisk.
Under it was a caption:
Sir Frederick of Lochmaree in his Fight with the Basilisk.
"See? It's in your blood. Just keep away from Argentina." Neoni said, chuckling.
"Why?" Mung asked.
"'Cause he got imprisoned by the Muggles there for 'unexplainable substances' in his suitcase." Neoni answered.
"Oh. Well, see ye. I'll write ye some owls durin' the summer." Mungo asked, getting up.
"Okay. Have a nice holiday." Neoni said.
"Ye too. Well, good-bye." Mungo said. He extended his hand awkwardly, and they shook hands. Mungo then left to pack a few last minute things into his case.
The next day, all the students poured out of the castle into horseless carriages, and onto the Hogwarts Express. Mungo and Duncan found a compartment near the front, and didn't say anything much for the journey. When they entered London, Duncan spoke up.
"I say, why don't you come to my house sometime this summer?" Duncan asked. "I'm sure my parents would let you come."
"Sure, I'll try. My dad might need me at th' apothecary fer a bit, but I'll try." Mungo answered.
"Great! I hope you don't mind cats all that much." Duncan said.
"Noo, noot at all." Mungo said.
Then, before they knew it, they were lost in the mad rush to get out of the train and to their parents. Mungo and Duncan stuck with each other until they met Mr. And Mrs. Abendroth, where Mungo and Duncan said good-bye.
"Good-bye, Mungo! Have a nice summer!" Duncan said.
"Oh, I will. My parents doon't knoo I'm noot allowed t' doo magic!" Mungo said, grinning.
"Yes we do." The voice of Mungo's dad said.
"Bugger." ((Pardon my English.))
((Author's Note: And so concludes Mungo Gorsson and the Several Stoned Sorcerers. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it, and I hope you'll read Mungo Gorsson and the Room of Fairly Obvious Truths. Until next time, then.))
