I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.
A Taste of Magic
25th Course – Turbulent Time
Dumbledore looked around the wreckage grimly. The door to the classroom had been broken violently and shards of wood from broken chairs and tables and said door littered the ground. He wished this was an isolated incident but it was not. Ever since the second term started, finding broken things like this were becoming more common.
They have not found the culprit. Each location was devoid of investigational evidence. No signs of anything that could lend any kind of hint what or who was causing it. And lately, not even students have escaped unscathed. Some have been found nearby and each had been knocked unconscious in some way. None remember seeing what did it. Many cases they woke up as confused as the ones investigating. Luckily their injuries were minor save for some loss of memory and bruises and scrapes.
Dumbledore waved his wand and the pieces of the tables and chairs pieced themselves together. Not even Aurors had been successful at finding what was going on. It was difficult, he would not downplay that. Hogwarts was saturated with magic from ages and ages, so it was difficult to find things magically sometimes. He had received letters from concerned parents and angry governors, demanding answers and solutions.
As if I do not want the same, he thought with some bitterness.
As he was walking away, he stopped, noticing something. He bent over the recently repaired desk and touched something that gleamed. He looked at the ink staining his fingertips. With every student, and faculty, in the castle using ink and having their own bottles, finding drops and pools of ink was hardly new. Yet this ink felt odd to him and he knew this particular classroom had not been in use for some time.
He wiped his finger clean with a spell and thought hard as he left the repaired room.
-0-
"Anything?"
Dumbledore shook his head. "Nothing. Well, one thing. I found some ink among the wreckage but it is hardly anything to truly go off of." He looked at Remus worriedly. "Should you be up and about?"
"I'm fine," Remus said. "I always look like this after the moon. Besides, I'm your Defense professor and I need to help." He yawned and blinked owlishly. "I've been looking through my notes and journals, trying to find anything that might help. Sadly, nothing seems to jump out at me. The damage is so mundane literally anything large enough can cause it. We just don't know how it's getting around and where it's going."
The Headmaster sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Well, we can only continue on and try our best. And hope we get a lucky break."
"You believe in luck?" Remus asked with a slight smile.
"When you have lived as long as I have and seen what I have, you have a very healthy respect for random chance," Dumbledore said dryly. "And from there it is easy to wish for good fortune and curse bad fortune."
-0-
Remus dismissed his class and started to clean the blackboard. Of course there was a spell for it, there was a spell for almost everything really, but he enjoyed using the eraser sometimes. The simple physical motion was soothing to him and let his mind wander a bit as his body moved out of reflex. Once he finished, he turned and smiled, seeing Harry waiting patiently.
"Hello Harry. My apologies, I was lost in thought," he said apologetically.
"No problem. Just wanted to give you this."
Remus took the small box and opened it. "Brownies? Why thank you, they look wonderful." He picked one up and bit into it. "Mmm, delicious," he said with a full mouth. "Not too sweet and heavy, just right."
"I remember one of your lessons said chocolate was good for shock and feeling better so I made some brownies for people," Harry smiled. "Especially with how things are."
Remus took another bite. "Very kind of you." His eyes narrowed. "Is everything okay?"
Harry had looked off at a wall, frowning slightly. Shaking his head slowly, he turned back to Remus. "Yes Sir, thought I heard something."
Remus looked at the wall too. "I don't hear anything. What did you hear?"
"Sounded like whispering sort of," Harry said slowly.
"Perhaps a ghost flying through," Remus hummed. "Anyways, how have you been?"
"I'm fine. Classes are fine. People are a little nervous with all the incidents of broken rooms and people getting randomly hurt."
"Are you friends with any that have been?"
"No Sir, thank goodness." Harry peered up at Remus. "Forgive me for saying, you don't look too great either."
Remus smiled. "Long nights. I've been running the castle and helping with the investigation while grading."
"And your usual illness?"
He nodded slowly. "That too."
"I hope you take care of yourself. You need to," Harry said.
Remus felt warm. "I suppose I must if you say so," he said. "And with your cooking, I feel more empowered. On your way Harry, don't be caught out alone for too long."
"Yes Sir." Harry waved and left the classroom but as he did, he was staring at the opposite wall. Remus looked that way as well but saw, or heard, nothing out of the ordinary.
-0-
Harry walked swiftly down the hall. These days, fewer people walked alone if they could avoid it. Classrooms being wrecked and alcoves being damaged were happening more often and it made a lot of people nervous. Harry had no real desire being out of the common room but he had left something in the clubroom and wanted to get it so he decided to go swiftly.
Footsteps made him pause and he cursed himself for not bringing the invisibility cloak, so eager he was to leave and return, he forgot about it. He thought about going back the way he came to be safe before voices could be heard. He relaxed ever so slightly, recognizing them.
"I don't believe you when you say this is a shortcut to the library."
"I've been here longer than you have."
"By one year!"
"Which is longer than you have! If you have a problem with it, go on your own next time!"
"I tried to go on my own this time!"
Ron and Ginny came around the corner, arguing like only siblings could. The stopped when they saw Harry, flushing identically from mild embarrassment at being caught arguing like that.
"Hi," Ginny said, giving Harry a careful look while Ron nodded coolly.
"Hi," Harry replied. "Heading to the library?"
"Yeah, she needs a book," Ron said shortly. "See you." He continued walking, gently pulling Ginny after him.
Harry smiled to himself and started to walk once more. Suddenly he stopped, hearing something else. It was just under the sound of the Weasley siblings starting to argue again. It was low and menacing, like a voice that could just be heard but not quite, not enough to hear the words but the intent of what was being said was there.
"Wait," Harry called after them, turning to follow.
Ron and Ginny stopped and looked at him. "Why?" Ginny asked, interested.
"Don't go that way," Harry said. The strange sound he could hear was getting louder.
"What, you think you know a better way to the library too?" Ron snorted, disgruntled. "I know where I'm going-"
"Shh," Harry shushed, straining his ears.
"What is your problem?! You told me to wait and now you're trying to-hey!" Ron snatched his hand back. Harry had reached out and grabbed his and Ginny's arms. "Let her go!"
"Follow me, hurry," Harry said, eyes wide and wanting to run. The strange sound was getting closer and Harry finally could hear what it said.
"Must…listen."
"Why?" Ginny asked, she turned to look behind them, where Harry was looking.
"If this is a joke, Potter, I'm not having it," Ron said angrily.
"Targets."
"We need to run," Harry said, mouth dry from fear.
"What?" Ron stared at him. Ginny's scream of fright broke him out of his confusion. The door next to them shuddered as something very large and very heavy slammed into it from the other side. The heavy wooden door splintered and cracked and a malevolent hissing filled the air.
"Run!" Harry shouted and pulled on them once more while turning to run down the hall, away from the cracking door. Ron needed no other urging and pulled Ginny after him who had frozen with shock, staring at the breaking door. After half-dragging her a few steps, her feet kicked in and she kept up with the running boys.
"Here!" Harry pulled the clubroom door open and Ron pushed Ginny in ahead of him with Harry jumping in and slamming the door shut behind them. He locked it and pushed the Weasleys into the far corner away from the door.
"What the bloody hell was that?!" Ron whispered; hugging Ginny close. The girl was crying a little, hugging her brother tight.
"I have no idea but it sounded nasty," Harry gasped, panting from them running. "Shh!"
The three of them froze as they heard something on the outside. It sounded large and heavy, moving slowly and eerily. Harry tried to listen for more words but none came, instead more of the slow sound of something being dragged over the stone. It passed them and things fell silent.
"Inky, are you there?" Harry whispered. A large crack made Ron shout and Ginny scream and Inky appeared.
She goggled at the Weasleys for a moment before looking at Harry worriedly. "Harry! What's wrong?! Is it the bad elf?"
"I don't know but I don't think so. Something broke through one of the doors down the hall and it chased us here," Harry said. "Can you get Dumbledore please? And be careful!"
Inky nodded frantically. "Inky will go! Harry stay safe in here!" She popped away, leaving the three children alone in the room. Long moments passed, punctuated by frightened whimpering and thudding heartbeats before they heard someone at the door.
"Harry? Are you okay in there?"
"Headmaster," Harry sighed with relief. He went to the door on unsteady legs and opened it, revealing a very worried Dumbledore standing there. "Thank you for coming."
"Of course. Are you okay? And are the others okay?" He peered in and also sighed with relief seeing the Weasleys distressed but unharmed. "Good thinking Harry. I do believe the extra charms we placed on the room kept you from harm. Wait here. Flitwick is on his way to escort you three to the Infirmary. I must check the room that the thing that chased you from. There is a chance there is something there that will help us identify it."
"Yes Sir," Harry said. He closed the door and sat against it, waiting for Flitwick to come. After a moment he realized Ron had walked over, still holding Ginny's hand.
"Uh, thanks," Ron said, face bright red and eyes wide.
"You're welcome," Harry said, still breathing hard.
"Sorry I've been a prat," Ron muttered, looking away.
Harry blinked, looking at Ron with astonishment. "Oh, uh, thanks. I appreciate that."
Ron nodded jerkily and they waited for Flitwick to arrive.
-0-
Dumbledore huffed softly. The room, despite being a fresh scene, was still maddeningly devoid of evidence. It had the usual wreckage of broken things but Remus and Snape had bent over some interesting spots and were examining them. A letter in the shape of a paper airplane had flown into the room after a bit and Dumbledore was grateful to see it. It was from Pomfrey and she was informing him that Harry, Ron, and Ginny had been checked and were none the worse for wear and were on their way back to Gryffindor tower.
"What have you found?" he asked as the other two men straightened.
"Ink," Snape said. "Fresh and different from the usual school ink. Well, modified I would say would be more correct. I cannot say in what way exactly, but it is different."
"This is definitely an unused classroom," Dumbledore said firmly. "Look at the state of it aside from the broken furniture. Plenty of accumulated dust. Cobwebs everywhere."
"Some dead spiders here," Remus said. "A lot actually and some look like they were torn apart or bitten or something like that." He showed them pieces of dead spiders. "That's not all, I found some blood. I don't know what kind though. I'll need to check it with a kit I have in my office and I'll have Pomfrey double-check it. I had hoped to see the tracks through the dust but they got disrupted when the thing broke out of the room."
He rubbed his neck in thought. "Looking at the pieces of the door, it hit hard from inside and broke its way through. Somehow the jagged parts of the door didn't catch anything."
"How did it get in here," Snape wondered.
Dumbledore sighed. "Okay, this has gone on long enough. I am going to have to do something I did not want to, but needs must. Continue with your investigations, I am going to go talk to someone."
"Who?" Remus asked.
"One of the only other people who were here when the Chamber was opened long ago," Dumbledore said and left the classroom.
-0-
Dumbledore groaned. "Hagrid, really?"
Hagrid shrugged sheepishly. "I did say they made this part of the Forest their home," he mumbled.
Dumbledore shook his head, looking at the forest of webbing that covered the trees and grounds of the Forbidden Forest. "Hagrid, I appreciate your passion for magical creatures but I want you to promise me that you will speak to me before you bring any kind of magical creature near the castle again, native or not."
"Yes Headmaster," Hagrid said meekly, wringing his hands together.
Dumbledore had gone straight to Hagrid's hut after leaving Remus and Snape. The man knew that Hagrid did not like to think back to those years. The boy had been a student and was doing his best but a string of bad incidents plagued him. The boy had been struggling and his father had recently passed. Then a girl had died and Hagrid already had a reputation for befriending odd magical animals. In the absence of other evidence, the authorities had blamed Hagrid tangentially, resulting in his suspension from the school and his eventual expulsion.
Hagrid professed innocence, both his and the animal's at the time, and Dumbledore had believed in him. Dumbledore had kept tabs on Hagrid after he left the school and once he took over as Headmaster, offered Hagrid a job. Now that things have come to a head, Dumbledore had politely but firmly insisted for Hagrid to revisit his memories and when he learned that the animal from that time was still alive and local, Dumbledore had gone looking for it.
Which led them to this webbed part of the Forbidden Forest that was honestly the stuff of nightmares.
Acromantulas, spiders the size of cars, crawled and skittered around them. Light barely pierced the dark canopy of the trees and webbing above them and what little that came through made their many flat eyes glitter. Their mandibles clicked and clacked, a menacing applause. They surrounded the pair, looking at them hungrily.
"This is deeply unsettling," Dumbledore said conversationally.
"They're not that bad," Hagrid protested.
"I admire your calm in these situations," Dumbledore said, chuckling slightly.
"I can say the same, Sir," Hagrid said. He coughed awkwardly. "Aragog! Hey, Aragog! Come out please, I need to talk to you."
Dumbledore grimaced as the biggest acromantula he had ever seen, not that he had seen many before entering this part of the forest, crept forward. This one was gigantic, towering over the others. Its eight legs were thicker than some tree trunks, its body more like a train car than a regular automobile. His hair stood on end when the acromantula spoke.
"Haaaagrrriiiiid," it said, its voice long and slow and whispery, like silk dragged over stone. "Hello Hagrid." Its mandibles clicked a few times. "What is this?"
"This is the Headmaster," Hagrid said sternly. "Professor Dumbledore."
"Charmed," Dumbledore said as pleasantly as he could. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."
"Hagrid is safe to enter my domain," Aragog said. "You do not have that luxury."
"Enough of that," Hagrid said loudly. "The Headmaster is a good man and he helped me a lot, he has."
"Do not worry," Dumbledore said, holding his hand up with the palm out, an expression of peace. "I normally would never arrive unannounced but needs must. Let me cut to the meat of things. Were you responsible for the death of the student many years ago?"
"Never," Aragog hissed and the surrounding acromantulas shared his indignation. "I have never tasted the blood of man out of respect to Hagrid."
"Do you know what did then?" Dumbledore asked sternly.
"I will not name it," Aragog said. "Its name is death among us. It is our most hated foe among other magical creatures. All spiders will flee before it. I could sense it, like prey senses predator. It dwelt below, away from where I was when Hagrid raised me in the halls of stone."
Hagrid and Dumbledore looked at each other. "Very well, thank you for your time," Dumbledore said. He and Hagrid began to leave, the acromantulas parting begrudgingly before them.
"Oh, one more thing." Dumbledore stopped and turned to look directly at Aragog and his brood. "If I ever find one of you on the grounds even looking at one of my students, if I find that you have gone beyond your territory and are feeding on the other inhabitants of the Forest and the Lake, if I see a whisper of silk or hear a clicking of pincers where none should be, I will come back and deal with you all."
The air pulsated with his magic and though he grew not in size or stature, his presence drove the acromantulas back. "I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster and Protector of Hogwarts and her students and staff. I will come and rain fire on you all and burn everything and apologize sweetly to Hagrid over the ashes and find him companions of a more suitable nature."
Not a single acromantula moved, not a bristle, not a strand of silk, nothing.
"Do I make myself clear?" Dumbledore asked mildly.
The acromantulas said nothing but the ones closest, and farthest, backed off, climbing up the trees and hiding among the webbing and strands.
"Have a good day," Dumbledore said pleasantly and walked off with Hagrid following beside. After they left the web covered trees, he looked up at Hagrid. "I do apologize for being so blunt."
"I understand, Professor," Hagrid sighed. "It's just nature, to warn others. They can get a bit rowdy, don't think they'll chance it now though."
"They better not," Dumbledore said quietly. The journey out of the Forest was mercifully quiet but when they walked onto the grounds, they found Snape waiting with a severe look on his face.
"Headmaster," he said shortly, "we have trouble."
-0-
He looked gravely down at the form on the bed. Draco was petrified, frozen stiff. If anything, he looked asleep, eyes closed and almost like he was dreaming. Yet he was not simply asleep, stuck in magical stasis.
Draco was not alone. Crabbe and Goyle had also been found in a similar state. The three Slytherin boys were in the Infirmary and Pomfrey, Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, and Remus were there.
"They were found on one of the upper floors," Snape said. Lying there. One of the bathrooms flooded, the floor covered in water and they were lying close to it. One of the ghosts found them and alerted Minerva who locked down the school. I was about to come for you but saw you leaving the Forest so I waited."
"How long have they been like this, do we know?" Dumbledore asked.
"Hard to say, but less than a couple hours by my guess," Pomfrey said. "Luckily, Remus already identified the state as petrification and Pomona already had some mandrakes just about ready. She is harvesting now and we can brew the potion by day's end. The potion should be ready to administer tomorrow. Hopefully we can then learn the culprit's identity."
"That may not be enough time," Snape said. "Lucius is already on the warpath and is on his way. I had to inform him when we found Draco like this."
"And what if there might be more victims before we cure them tomorrow," Dumbledore mused. He rubbed his face. "I had thought we finally found a lead."
"Your trip to the Forest?" McGonagall asked.
"Yes. I spoke with the animal that Hagrid was caring for when the Chamber was opened during his time here. It professed innocence and given that the boys here have no bite marks, not to mention webbing, I am inclined to believe it. Not to mention that it was not here when the attacks happened."
"Acromantulas do not petrify either," Remus said. "They paralyze and poison, certainly, but not petrification."
Dumbledore rubbed his chin. "The other thing it mentioned was that the thing responsible was the gravest enemy of spiders. And that it dwelled below the castle. It could feel the other animal, thing, or monster, whatever it is."
"The enemy of spiders that is also magical? The only thing I can think of is a basilisk," Remus said off-handedly.
All the staff stopped and stared at him.
"Surely not," Pomfrey said, horrified. "Aren't they incredibly rare and incredibly dangerous?"
"Rare for the United Kingdom certainly, but I've come across a few in my travels. Most were actually relatively docile if cared for," Remus said. "There's a farm for them in Eastern Europe even and I know of others."
"Their gaze is death, not petrification," Snape said.
"Unless interfered with," Dumbledore said slowly. "You said they were lying beside water?" He continued when they nodded. "Perhaps a reflection saved them."
Pomfrey walked swiftly over to some vials and held one, casting a charm on it. "The blood you found Remus. It's reptilian in nature."
"There's been a bloody basilisk roaming the school?!" McGonagall looked aghast. "Breaking all the rooms? Can they get that big?!"
"They can," Remus said uneasily.
"How has it been going around the school? Someone should have seen it slithering down the halls!" Pomfrey gasped, her voice sarcastic and terrified. "How can a basilisk traverse the school unseen and unheard?"
"Not unheard," Remus gasped. "Harry!"
"How is Potter related to this?" McGonagall asked.
"I noticed him looking at walls recently, saying he could hear something like whispering," Remus explained.
"And he said he heard something before he ran with the Weasleys," Dumbledore said, connecting the dots.
"He's a Parselmouth," McGonagall gasped.
"The plumbing," Snape said, realization dawning. "It was moving about using the plumbing and Potter could hear it."
"I have been a fool," Dumbledore said softly. "Myrtle was killed in the bathroom, when the Chamber was opened last. I never understood why, but if the monster from the Chamber is using the pipes, then there is a chance that the bathroom has a direct connection to the Chamber. And if you account for all the flooding that is happening…"
He looked around. "Remus, get Hagrid and Filius and meet me at the girls' bathroom on the second floor. Bring what you think you need to handle a basilisk. You will be our expert since you have had the most experience. Minerva, Severus, lock down the school and put the rest of the staff on guard with the Elves. Keep the Prefects and the Heads inside their common rooms and watch over the rest of the students. Pomfrey, start the process for brewing the potion and have Severus come to you when you get to the point that his assistance will be needed."
"Where are you going?" Pomfrey asked.
"I am about to ask someone to do something they should not but unfortunately must," he said heavily. "And add another tally to my list of failures."
-0-
Harry blinked at Dumbledore. "I'm sorry, Sir, could you please repeat that?"
Dumbledore smiled a little. "Of course. I am asking you to do something rather dangerous for me and for the school. I have reason to believe I know where the Chamber of Secrets is, and that Salazar's monster is a basilisk which is a giant magical snake. You, being a Parselmouth, I believe will help us in finding the entrance to the Chamber and possibly help us with the basilisk itself.
"Now you will not be alone. I, Hagrid, Professor Lupin, and Professor Flitwick will be with you. Hagrid is an accomplished Hunter as you know as well as our groundskeeper. Professor Remus has traveled the world lending his skills against Dark Arts and has dealt with basilisks as well. Professor Flitwick is a duelist of note as well as many skills usable in dark places and tunnels while I have a fair array of skills and experience."
He looked at Harry seriously. "I know I ask much of you Harry and you have every right to refuse. If you would be willing to indulge my selfish request, I swear to you, you will not come to harm, not before I and the others have suffered first."
Harry felt his heart beat like it wanted to escape his chest. He trusted Dumbledore and all the professors and Hagrid, but the idea of going down into the now infamous Chamber of Secrets terrified him, especially when he had the close brush to it just recently.
He swallowed thickly. "This basilisk is the one that's been causing all the damage?"
"Yes."
"It could hurt others, right?"
Dumbledore nodded sadly. "It could."
"What would happen if I don't go?" Harry asked, hating himself for asking but wanting to know.
"A fair question. We would try our best but I do not know if we would succeed in finding the Chamber and dealing with the basilisk would be much more difficult. At the time, the only prominent Parselmouths in Wizarding Britain cannot be reached. I have tried on the way to speak with you."
"So I have to do this," Harry said quietly.
"No, you do not," Dumbledore said firmly. "You always have a choice, Harry. Most times it will be difficult and unfair, but you always do."
Harry closed his eyes and thought about the basilisk coming after him again. Coming after his friends.
He opened his eyes. "I'll do it," he whispered.
Dumbledore felt incredibly proud of the boy as well as incredibly sad for putting him in this situation. "You have my thanks Harry and once more, I swear no harm will come to you if I can prevent it."
"Just remember if something happens, I can't make tea anymore," Harry joked feebly.
Dumbledore smiled and laughed, heartening Harry. "Now that is extra incentive! Come then, let us deal with this once and for all, together."
-0-0-0-
poka - I love hot chocolate and when I started doing it with milk instead of water, I never went back. It just lacks something without milk.
l4w - Hedwig is the most adorable and I have too much fun writing her sometimes. I hope to inspire people to want and crave certain things from time to time. I consider that to be high praise.
jaclon - I'm glad you like seeing the notifications. Thank you.
kaya - She steals the show.
alix33 - I never met my grandmothers unfortunately. That's so cool that you learned a lot from yours. Hedwig is mischievously fastidious.
Earth Guardian 28 - I haven't made a perfect recipe yet but I still am willing to make as much as I can.
DOOOOOOM Lord of Waffles - Glad you liked it. Hope you're doing well.
tumshie - I have not made it myself yet and have tried it at a restaurant once and some frozen options a few times. Butter chicken is a monthly staple for me now though since I found this one recipe I like a lot.
Zincat - I like a good slice of life story, manga, show, thing. The mundane is nice to think about and imagine, especially in fun settings. That said, I do try to write with purpose and love a good throwback or callback so there's a good chance stuff like this will be referenced in the future in some way. Glad you still like her development.