AN: I've discovered something. I'm much better at posting short updates every other day than posting longer updates once a week. Probably because I have a short attention span. This one is especially short, because I really wanted to end it there. As usual, thanks to my 374 favorites and 620 follows. Super special thanks to reviewers Cassandra30, XxxImNotOkayxxX, fanficreader2842, posieden'sdaughter, B00kw0rm92, Majerus, Skylar of Gryffindor, Makurayami Ookami, mich1990, OpenMindedPerson, serenityselena, trongod, Narcissa-Weasly, Cosmyk Angel, MariusDarkwolf, Strumwulf, serialkeller, Books are air, Kairan1979, Lightningblade49, Spring Raine, Yana5, and red-jacobson. You've all helped me improve so much! The poll will be taken down Saturday, but I think I already know how it's going to turn out.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter franchise.

"What's that?" Harry asked, spooked.

"What's what?" Ron asked, next to him.

"That voice," Harry whispered. "It-it-I can't really tell where it's coming from."

"I don't hear anything," Neville said nervously.

"Wait! There it is again!"

…so hungry…for so long…

"Can't you hear it? Just listen," Harry ordered.

Their group went silent. Thankfully, some of the people Harry didn't know very well were up ahead of them, which meant only Harry's friends thought he was crazy, not total strangers.

"I can hear it," Harry whispered again.

…kill…time to kill…

"There it was!" He shouted.

"What was it saying?" Percy asked urgently.

"It was talking about killing something," Harry's eyes widened. "Or someone."

Percy and Oliver exchanged dark looks.

"Can you tell where it was coming from?"

"I dunno," Harry replied, concentrating. "It's almost like it's behind the wall."

Alicia paled drastically. "Behind the wall?"

…I smell blood…I SMELL BLOOD…

"It's going up!" Harry exclaimed, a hint of hysteria creeping in. "I think it's gonna kill someone!"

"Hey, Richard!" Percy yelled ahead. "We're just gonna branch off for a bit, okay?"

Jones gave a confused nod, and the groups split apart. Harry's group raced up a stairway, Ginny giving a little gasp as it moved with them on it.

"Just a little further," Harry murmured, leading the way. The voice was practically shouting now, but still the others couldn't hear it.

…RIP…TEAR…KILL…

And then, just as soon as it had appeared, the voice went silent. Harry rounded the corner, expecting to see a hideous beast, but instead found a very stiff, motionless Mrs. Norris. And this time, Demelza Robbins' scream was very, very real.

Oliver Wood and Percy Weasley were once again in the Headmistress' office. McGonagall paced back and forth as Flitwick frantically thumbed through an ancient text. Sinistra seemed a little less unhinged than the pair, drinking tea with shaking hands.

"Professor?" Percy began hesitantly.

All three adults grunted.

"Will Mrs. Norris be alright?"

"Eventually," Sinistra said. "This year, Professor Sprout is growing Mandrakes. Professor Snape will make the restorative draught as soon as the Mandrakes have matured, and Mrs. Norris should be fine."

"I just don't understand how it could have gotten through the school. I mean, we were bound to notice a Basilisk in the corridors," Flitwick muttered worriedly.

"It shouldn't have been awake in the first place. It hasn't caused us trouble all these years, but as soon as an ancient spell no one's ever even heard of is cast, it goes out and petrifies a cat?" Sinistra not-so-subtly glanced at Flitwick. "Sounds a little fishy."

"If you're implying that I performed the spell wrong, then may I remind you that you weren't too eager to cast it either," Flitwick retorted hotly.

"I truly hope you're not saying I'm a coward," Sinistra said icily. "Because we both know the only reason you did it is because Minerva said to."

McGonagall abruptly stopped pacing. "Enough! We already have a mountain of problems, we don't need to add fighting staff members to it," She declared firmly.

"So, do you think it's about time you admitted to needing help?" Oliver suggested slyly.

Percy groaned inwardly.

"Mr. Wood, you would do well to watch your tongue!" McGonagall snapped.

"What? Your efforts failed, we could help you! Even if we don't actually get out there, we could try just helping with theory," Oliver pleaded.

"Oh, well-" She was flustered. "I suppose."

"Great! What spell did you use?" Percy asked, getting down to business.

"Well, it's very difficult and old, very hard to find," Flitwick frowned.

"Try me," Percy challenged.

"The original copy was in runes, so I had to translate that. The spell is basically a way of preserving something. It's technically alive, but all of its organs are shut down," Flitwick explained.

Percy leaned forward in his seat, captivated. Oliver tried to copy his stance and look interested.

"The incantation is interficio internus."

"What's the wand movement?" Percy inquired curiously.

Flitwick cleared his throat. "Ah, well, I performed it wandless, so I didn't bother to learn."

"You do realize the potential repercussions of doing that with a spell you've never cast, for something so important?" Percy asked before catching himself. "I mean-That's not-I didn't-I'm sorry."

Flitwick slumped in his chair. "No, you're absolutely right," He moaned. "I don't know what I was thinking! So many things could've gone wrong."

"Something has gone wrong," McGonagall pointed out. "What if next time, the Basilisk kills someone? Filch is already threatening to go to the Daily Prophet, but I've reminded him that his contract prevents him from doing so."

"What do you think you'll be able to do?" Sinistra directed her question at Percy and Oliver.

"We're gonna have to think on it for a few days. Don't wanna rush into anything," He added meaningfully.

All three professors scowled.

Percy stepped on Oliver's foot.

"One more thing, Headmistress," Percy mentioned. "It's about Harry."

She sat down at her desk. "You have my full attention."

"He-He heard the Basilisk, and that's how we knew where it was."

Sinistra's eyebrows disappeared under her bangs.

McGonagall paused. "As usual, boys, nothing said here will leave this office. You are dismissed."

"Why do we even bother going in there?" Oliver wondered, frustrated. "Every time, we don't get all our questions answered."

"Isn't it obvious?" Percy asked, surprised. "Harry's a parselmouth. That was McGonagall's way of saying she won't tell anyone.

"How do you always manage to pick up this stuff I don't notice?"

Percy shrugged. "Y'know, you probably shouldn't have hinted you think they're incompetent."

Oliver snorted. "It's true."

Harry sat in the Common Room, alone. His friends had all tried to sit with them, but he hadn't said a word. He couldn't stop thinking about the voice. How could he hear it and no one else? At first, the voice had been very quiet, but just as they had reached Mrs. Norris, it had screamed. And what was the voice? Harry couldn't help but think that if he hadn't told anyone where he was going, he might have spotted it.

It was stupid, he knew. He probably would've been killed by the voice, or at least end up like Mrs. Norris. But maybe, it would've worked out.

"Hey, Harry," Oliver interrupted the boy's brooding. "Listen, I've got a bunch of Quidditch tactics up in my dorm room."

"Okay," Harry said, not understanding why he was being told.

"You have to come see them," Oliver insisted. "You never know which one is secretly a Ravenclaw spy." His eyes jumped around the Common Room.

"Okay," Harry repeated. Oliver and Roger's feud had spread through the school like a wildfire. Strangely, all the Ravenclaws were on Oliver's side, while the Slytherins were staunch supporters of Roger. By now, Oliver was so paranoid he believed any Ravenclaw was really out to steal the cup.

Inside the sixth year boy dorms, Harry found not just the Quidditch team, but also Ron, Hermione, and Percy.

"Harry, this is an intervention," George informed him seriously. Angelina slapped him around the head.

Harry turned to leave only to find Oliver blocking the door.

"It's important that you hear this."

"Harry, that voice you heard? That was the Basilisk," Alicia started softly.

Harry could've slapped himself. Of course it was the Basilisk! How could he not realize that? But that meant that…

"You're a parselmouth, mate," Ron said weakly.

Harry swallowed. "I-I know," He told them. "I talked to a snake at the zoo once."

"Wicked!" Fred and George cheered. "Can you teach us?"

"Well, erm, I don't even really notice I'm speaking it. It all just sounds like English to me." He scanned all of their faces for any signs of disgust. He didn't find any.

"D'you think we could study that?" Percy asked eagerly.

Hermione and Katie nodded in agreement.

"Er, yeah, sure. You're not angry or scared of me?" Harry checked.

The twins scoffed. "As a scrawny little first year, we helped you with your trunk. Now, a year later, you're maybe an inch taller and still scrawny. It's gonna take a lot more than that to scare us."

"Harry, you're our friend. You were sorted into Gryffindor for a reason. Just because you're a parselmouth doesn't change that," Hermione said earnestly.

Harry took this all in, warmth filling his whole body. He had friends, friends who believed in him.

"Right," Oliver said gruffly. "Now that that's over, let's head out to the pitch."

The Quidditch team grumbled and complained.

"Hey, the match against Slytherin is tomorrow. You're lucky we haven't been practicing all day."

Of course, if they knew what Percy Weasley was planning on doing when they were gone, Oliver probably would've decided on no practice.

Roger Davies was angry. He had been angry for months now, ever since Ravenclaw won the Cup last year and it got swept under the rug. Slytherin would've won the House Cup, which Roger didn't particularly care about, but there had been a very small mention by the Headmaster about their win. And then Harry bloody Potter had to come in and "save the school" and then Gryffindor won the House Cup and suddenly no one cared about Ravenclaw. Ravenclaw, the team who had beaten the supposedly unbeatable team. It hadn't even been a close game, because the Ravenclaws were superior. They used their brains in the game, and they didn't get by on just dumb luck.

Wood's face after the match had been priceless. First he had been disbelieving, then he had been angry, and finally he had just given up. Roger had enjoyed it almost as much as the feel of the Quidditch Cup. Tomorrow was the Gryffindor Slytherin match, and Roger would be cheering for the snakes. And then, when Gryffindor had been thoroughly ashamed, at dinner, Roger would stand up to tell the school something very important.

No one would be expecting it. No one knew Roger had that tape. Roger wasn't sure what was even on the tape, because he wanted to wait until his big, shining moment. One thing was for sure. No one would forget Roger Davies.