Sorry about not updating, I've been a little busy but should be back on track for awhile. Tell me what you think of the chapter, it's a little surprising. Thanks for the reviews freethewolves1 and Lily. I realize the HP timeline and the PJO timeline are both off. Percy was born in 1993 and Harry was born in 1980, not 1990. I wanted it to b a little more modern, so I made them all born in 1990. The two stories do take place 13 years apart. Enjoy!

Chapter Twenty Nine: Basilisk and Petrification

The next day, Harry ran up to me outside DADA. "We know who it is," the Boy-Who-Lived panted.

"You know who what is?" I questioned.

"The Heir of Slytherin, who let the monster out 50 years ago. It was Hagrid. We don't think he meant for it to kill anyone, but it did. Hagrid is the Heir of Slytherin."

"Alright, now that I don't believe. Hagrid may have another view about dangerous creatures, but he would never let something into the castle that would petrify someone."

"He was 13 when it happened, Nina. You didn't know him then."

"No, I didn't. WHat about the attacks now, though. He may have accidently set something on students 50 years ago, but he's smart enough not to do it again. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to attempt to learn something from the dimwit we're all forced to call a professor." I marched forward into the DADA classroom. How dare Harry claim that Hagrid was the Heir. Completely impossible. He is smart enough not to make the same mistake twice.

NANANANANANANANANANANANANANANANANANANANANANANANANA NANANANANAN

I sighed, why did Lav and Vati have to get Saturday detention today. I waved to them as they ran up to the Charms classroom to start their detention with Flitwick. They just had to be late to class all week. They were in the library, and kept getting sidetracked by their studying. I wonder what they were studying? Doubt it was Potions like they told Professor Flitwick.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione forced me to walk down to the quidditch pitch with them. They were talking about what the monster could be. Why couldn't they just give it a rest for one day? If you don't take a break, the stress levels build up which leads to a harder time concentrating which leads to taking a longer time in your task than you would have if you took a day off. I had learned that on my quest. Everyone needs a break. Unfortunately, we didn't get a real break. During our break, we were ambushed by monsters. It was just wonderful.

The Annoying trio had switched to talking about how Hagrid could sneak the monster into the castle. Would they stop blaming poor Hagrid. He is way too much like a cuddly bunny, albeit a giant cuddly bunny. He would never cause any real damage on purpose. Luckily for the trio, they didn't seem completely convinced Hagrid was the culprit. It was like there was just too much proof leading to him. If they had completely been convinced it was Hagrid, well let's just say I wasn't kidding when I said I could handle a knife. It's bad enough they suspect my friend, but Hagrid is supposed to be their friend too.

We were just about to leave the castle when Harry stopped. I didn't see him stop and rammed right into him. He fell face forwards. Oops. He quickly got up. He didn't seem phased that he was knocked to the ground. It must happen often. I wonder if it's only when people walk into him? Focus, Jackson. Harry said he was hearing the voice again. I had no idea what he was talking about. First, what does he mean again? Second, why can't the rest of us hear it? Wait, I remember Luna telling me Harry was a parselmouth. Maybe we couldn't hear it because it was a snake.

"Harry, what is it saying?" I asked.

"Rip, tear, kill."

It must be the monster. What snake can petrify people? I gasped and looked at Hermione. She had come to the same conclusion as I.

'We're going to the library!" I called over my shoulder as Hermione and I dashed to the library. When we got there, it was empty except for a Ravenclaw prefect. She waved kindly at us. I waved back, but Hermione dashed straight to the magical creatures section. She began looking through Magical Creatures and Where to Find Them. I began searching my memory for everything I could think of. I remembered as soon as Hermione found the passage.

Of the many fearsome beasts that roam our land, there is none more curious or deadly than the Basilisk, known also as the King of Serpents. This snake, which may reach gigantic size and live hundreds of years, is born from a chicken's egg, hatched beneath a toad. Its methods of killing are most wonderous, for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs,the Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death. Spiders flee before it, for it is their mortal enemy, and the Basilisk flees only from the crowing of a rooster, which is fatal to it.

"It all fit, the spiders have been fleeing the castle because of the Basilisk. Whoever the Heir is has been killing the roosters so the Basilisk doesn't get killed. Oh, but how has everyone been petrified instead of killed?" Hermione asked.

"Because no one looked it directly in the eye. Colin saw the Basilisk through his camera. Justin saw it through Nick. Nick is a ghost, so he couldn't die again. Instead, he was petrified."

"But what about Mrs. Norris? She didn't have a camera and all the hosts were at Nick's Death Day Party. Why isn't she dead?"

I held up a finger. I pulled that day out of my mental filing cabinets and pushed it to the front of my mind. "She saw the Basilisk's reflection. That was the night Myrtle flooded her bathroom. There was water on the floor. She saw the Basilisk's eyes in the water." Hermione nodded her head. We noticed the prefect was still there. We ran over to tell her what the monster is. She grabbed her bag and rummaged through it, pulling out a mirror.

'I'm muggleborn too. If the three of us are together, we'll be a huge target. We'll use it to look around corners." I nodded my head in agreement. "McGonagall is grading papers, we should tell her." We all got up and started towards Professor McGonagall's office. The prefect, Penelope Clearwater, led the way, checking around every corner.

We were a few hallways away when Penelope froze, her eyes glued to the mirror in her hand. Hermione wrenched it from her stone grasp and looked into it. Was she really that stupid? I gulped. The monster was just around the corner. Not only was I muggleborn, I was also a demigod. The monster wanted to kill me twice as much. I looked up to pray to my father, but never got the chance. Huge, glowing, yellow eyes were boring down at me. I screamed as I felt myself freeze up. Then, I lost sense of everything going on. I could hear muffled voices surrounding me. I recognized Lav's and Vati's. After what felt like a few seconds, I could no longer make out any sounds except for Madam Pomfrey. I heard her say no more visitors were allowed.

Lavender's POV

Vati and I were scrubbing the desks in the Charms classroom. After so many explosions, they were very filthy. Who knew explosions stained stuff green? II pulled off my glove and rubbed my eye. The chemicals were beginning to burn them. I was pulling my glove back on when Professor McGonagall ran into the room. She seemed out of breath and slightly hysterical. Harry and Ron were following closely behind her. I sighed, what did they do now? Then I realized something. Harry was supposed to be playing quidditch. He couldn't have done something wrong. "I need to see Miss Patil and Miss Brown, it's an emergency."

Flitwick nodded his head and waved us off. We quickly ran after McGonagall, stripping ourselves of our gloves as we ran. She led us to the Hospital Wing. Has there been another petrification? Oh no, Nina. I grabbed Vati's hand and dragged her forward. I collapsed to my knees in front of my friend's bed. No, this wasn't happening. She promised she would be safe. This is someone else. It's a student under polyjuice, or Nina is pulling a prank on us. Yeah, that was it. Any second now she would jump up and start laughing. Then, Vati and I would yell at her how it wasn't funny.

"My apologies, she is only petrified. We should have the potion ready in no more than a few weeks time.

Parvati's POV

"My apologies, she is only petrified. We should have the potion ready in no more than a few weeks time." McGonagall placed a hand on my shoulder as well as my sister's shoulder. I couldn't believe it. I didn't want to believe it. This was Nina we were talking about. She was the girl who killed the Chimera and Echidna. She couldn't be petrified just like that.

I grabbed my sister's hand. She looked up at me with tears flowing down her cheeks. I knew I was crying too. What if the potion didn't work? What if Nina was stuck like this forever. I could hear Harry and Ron coming up behind us. I felt them wrap me and my sister in a hug. I leaned back against Harry, still clinging to my sister. I don't care what it took, I was going to track down the monster that did this and rip it's head off.

I looked at Lav. "Lav, we need to write a letter to Nina's brother and her father. They both deserve to know." Lav nodded her head. She looked at me with a dead look in her eye. Then, she stood up, shrugging off Ron's arms. I did the same to Harry and together we walked off to the owlery.

Lord Poseidon,

There has been a monster going around Hogwarts petrifying students. We hate to tell you like this, but Nina was petrified. We don't know what the monster is that did it. As soon as we find out we are going to kill it.

Your daughter's friends,

Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, daughters of Aphrodite

The letter we wrote to Percy was exactly the same. Just a little less formal.