The Potter Timeline

Chapter 39 - Hunting a Monster

The following morning, every student at Hogwarts was called into a mandatory meeting in the Great Hall. The prefects of each House were instructed to lead their charges to the Hall personally. And as usual, Percy overacted his part, barking out orders to the Gryffindors with great bravado. When everyone, both students and staff - minus Professor Snape - were present, Professor McGonagall entered, followed by James, Tonks, and with her, Harry. The remaining Aurors, as well as Hagrid, then came in behind them. Even Nearly-Headless Nick, the Fat Friar, and the Bloody Baron appeared for the meeting, flying in through the walls and standing by their House tables.

Whispers broke out among the pupils and rumors were flying that something terrible happened the night before. Many were eyeing Harry, of course, and he could hear his name mentioned in the hushed conversations around him as he moved with the others to the High Table. His cheeks went pink at this, but he ignored the attention as best he could.

Along the way, he glanced at the Gryffindor table, looking for Hermione. When he saw her, she was sitting with their friends, Harry's dorm mates, and she held a worried look while gazing back at him. He gave her a slight smile to which she responded in kind. McGonagall walked around the table to stand at her place while Harry, Hagrid, and the Aurors stood off to the side. The hall went quiet as the stern gaze of the professor swept across the tables.

"Good morning, students. As some of you might be aware, there was another attack last night..."

More whispers broke out among the students. McGonagall raised her hand. Everyone quieted. She continued.

"...the attack occurred on the fifth floor and I'm afraid to say that two Ministry Aurors were the unfortunate victims this time. No students or staff were harmed. I have apprised Professor Dumbledore of the situation and he is making arrangements to return shortly. In the meantime, he has authorized me, as his deputy, to handle this emergency. I've consulted with Head Auror Purvis who has recommended instituting certain measures to minimize the danger and ensure the safety of you all."

She nodded at James who nodded back. She went on.

"First, all restrooms on each floor, from the first dungeon level to the sixth floor, will be closed until further notice. Please remember this during your classes and make accommodations as needed - your dorm restrooms will be the only ones available to you. Second, students will be required to have an escort both to and from classes and their dorms. Prefects, you will oversee this and appoint seventh-years to escort the lesser-years. Third, the library and student labs in the dungeons will be closed until further notice. Teachers will structure their classes around this inconvenience and any curriculum requirements are deferred until the emergency has ended. Finally, a curfew will be enacted. All students must be in their dorms by six o'clock each evening..."

Nearly the entire student population groaned at this. The professor cleared her throat very loudly. The hall fell silent, and she continued.

"...as I was saying, curfew is at six o'clock each evening and all evening activities are canceled for now. The portraits guarding your dorms will be instructed to not allow students through after six, unless it's a dire emergency. They will report any pupil to staff who do not follow this rule. Punishment for violating any of these orders will include both deduction of House Points and detention. Is that clear?"

Four hundred heads nodded back.

"Now, as an added measure of safety, a second contingent of Ministry Aurors has been called in to guard the halls of the castle until the monster has been apprehended. Mr. Amos Diggory will return to help coordinate with the Aurors in either capturing or killing the beast. Please cooperate with everyone in charge as they are looking out for your wellbeing. Until the headmaster returns, any questions, concerns, or requests must be submitted to me. I am working closely with the Aurors and the Ministry to make sure no further attacks occur, but if our officers feel it necessary, we will make arrangements to evacuate the school. As for today, the Great Hall will remain open for studying purposes, but if you wish to return to your dorms, an escort will be required. The remainder of the castle is off-limits."

The students were stunned by this, and more whispers broke out. But then the professor stepped around the High Table and moved to the space between it and the House tables. She clasped her hands together and gave the students a different look - one of motherly concern.

"There is one final thing I wish to say. Despite my reputation as a very stern and severe professor, I have a great fondness for all my students and this school. And as I and the staff look out for your welfare, I would ask that you all put aside class, House, even personal differences, at least temporarily, and look out for one another's welfare. Together, we will get through this difficult circumstance."

The woman looked around the pupils who sat silently and solemnly at these words.

"That is all for now. Enjoy your breakfast and the rest of your day. You're dismissed."

The students resumed their conversations over this development as breakfast foods appeared on the plates before them. McGonagall stepped over to the Aurors and Harry.

"Harry, I'd like to speak with you in my office," she said to the boy, who nodded back at her, "and Hagrid, if you, Mr. Purvis, and Miss Tonks will accompany us?"

"O' course, professor," Hagrid replied.

The Head Auror and his protégé nodded. The five headed for the entrance to the Great Hall. Along the way, Harry glanced at Hermione again. She looked up at him just as a plate of food appeared in front of her. Her face still looked worried, and she clearly wanted to speak with him. He gave her a knowing look, that he would meet her later. She nodded back.

~HP~

When everyone arrived in the office, the professor sat down behind her desk. Harry sat in the chair before her, and James sat in the one next to his while Hagrid and Tonks stood on either side. The woman looked at Hagrid.

"You placed Auror Jones' petrified body in the hospital wing?" she asked.

"Yes, professor," Hagrid responded. She gave out a sad smile.

"Good. Once the Mandrake serum is ready, we'll use it to restore him as well as Mrs. Norris. It's fortunate at least he wasn't killed. Now, as for last night's events..."

McGonagall looked at Harry.

"...what precisely happened?" the professor asked.

Harry straightened up.

"I had another nightmare, like before. But this time I could understand the voices better. One of them was Voldemort, I believe, though I'm not sure what they were talking about. But when the snake tried to attack me, I was able to stop it this time, like I did with the one at Lockhart's duel."

McGonagall nodded.

"What else?" she asked.

"I felt my scar burning, but only for a moment. Then the vision or nightmare changed. I was in some...corridor, here in Hogwarts, I believe. I think it was the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets as there was a circular door with snakes on it. Tom spoke through me, and the door opened. He then called out the monster but before I could get a look at it, the vision ended. That's when I heard the monster's voice. Professor, now knowing I can speak and hear Parseltongue, I'm certain the monster is a snake of some kind."

"But what kind of snake can petrify someone?" Tonks wondered, "in both attacks, one person, or a cat in the case of the first attack, was petrified, but the other killed."

"Well, we still don't know if Filch was in fact killed or simply had a heart attack," James told her, "there's no evidence a snake attacked him."

McGonagall frowned.

"Magical creatures are not my area of expertise. Have you heard of any having the ability to petrify, Hagrid?"

The man's face scrunched up then he shook his head.

"No, professor. I haven't."

The five silently thought over this before the Head Auror turned to Harry.

"Based on what you saw, I don't suppose you have any idea where the door is located, do you?" he asked.

Harry shook his head.

"No, sir."

James looked at the professor.

"We've searched all the floors in the dungeon levels before and found nothing. Now that we know the creature is using the pipes, it's safe to assume it's entering and exiting in the caverns beneath the dungeons."

"And if the monster took Weston into the Chamber, his trail of blood should lead us to it," Tonks said.

James nodded.

"Good thinking, Tonks. But you've seen the caverns, like I have. It's a confusing maze of tunnels, holes, and aqueducts. It could take some time to find the trail inside all that, if that's where the creature actually took him. We need a more precise area to search."

McGonagall looked at the caretaker.

"Hagrid, you've been beneath the lower dungeons a few times. Would you have any idea where the chamber could be located?"

The wizard stood up straighter and thought for a moment.

"Well, like James here said, it's a bit confusin' down there what with all the tunnels. Teh be honest, professor, I seen the pipes go off in different directions teh who knows where. The founders apparently just built over top o' all that. Yeh can get lost down there right quick, if yeh ain't careful."

But then a thought flashed through Harry's mind.

"Wait a minute! The founders!" he uttered.

Everyone looked at him curiously. He went on.

"In the vision, the circular door had some kind of mold on it, like it was extremely old," he said and turned to look at the half-giant, "Hagrid, the ruins of the old castle you showed me and Hermione had mold on it too. Could Slytherin have hidden his chamber inside the ruins?"

The big man went wide-eyed at the idea and thought about it.

"That's possible Harry. An' maybe that's the secret 'treasure chamber' Filch was always goin' on about. But from what I've seen, the only way into the ruins is through a boarded up ol' tunnel yeh can only get to from on top, the part I showed you an' Hermione. Though I suppose if the monster is a snake, it only needs a hole big enough to crawl in an' out of."

The Aurors looked at one another.

"Well, that's a start," James said, "once the other Aurors arrive, I can lead a team down to the ruins through the access stairwell. And you can join us, Hagrid, since you're familiar with it."

"Right," Hagrid said with a nod, "we'll find that nasty bugger an' put a stop teh its dirty deeds."

"The other Aurors and Diggory should arrive by noon, professor," James added, "we'll head into the lower caverns then. Perhaps, if all goes well, we can find the creature by this evening and disable it...permanently."

The deputy headmistress brightened at these words.

"Let us hope so," she said with concern, "for everyone's sake."

~HP~

Harry and Tonks left McGonagall's office and headed back to the Great Hall. The boy was eager to talk with Hermione and as soon as they entered, he headed straight for her, ignoring the whispers and glares once more. Hermione was now sitting by herself, as Dean, Seamus, and Neville had headed back to Gryffindor Tower. She brightened when Harry appeared and sat down next to her, Tonks taking her place on his other side.

"There you are!" Hermione said quietly while leaning toward him, "what happened last night? How were the Aurors attacked?"

Harry glanced at Tonks who was just digging into an enormous Belgian waffle which had appeared on a plate in front of her. He then scooted closer to Hermione and leaned in to talk privately.

"The monster killed one of them and carried the body off."

Hermione's eyes went large at this as she held a fearful look. Harry continued.

"The other was petrified, like Mrs. Norris. And when we followed the blood of the first Auror, it led into the restroom. Hermione, the monster, a snake, I believe, has been getting into the school through the pipes inside the restrooms."

The girl looked down at her empty plate with squinty eyes. She then looked back at Harry.

"I've been thinking of what kind of monster we're dealing with. You said you believe it's a snake?"

"Yes. Since we now know I can communicate in Parseltongue, that explains how I can hear it and no one else can. Besides, I saw the chamber door in a vision last night too..."

Harry told Hermione about the nightmare inside the manor house, the voices, the chamber, and Tom releasing Slytherin's monster from inside it.

"Well, the creature being a snake does seem obvious," Hermione remarked, "but what has me curious is how it petrified Mrs. Norris and the Auror. How did it do that and not simply kill them?"

Harry shook his head.

"I don't know. Maybe it's not a normal snake."

"Well, that's obvious too, Harry, considering it has to be a thousand years old. The question is, what kind of snake can live so long and has the power to petrify people or animals?..."

Then the girl's eyes lit up and she grabbed Harry's sleeve.

"Harry, last year when I was looking up information on those books on the killing curse, I recall coming across another book listed in the Restricted Section called Legendary Creatures and the Dark Magic Behind Them. I wonder if this snake might be mentioned in it. Considering it's Slytherin's monster we're talking about, in order for it to survive for so long and do his bidding, or his heirs', he'd have to have used dark magic on it of some kind."

Harry nodded.

"Right. The problem is, the library is closed and off-limits, not to mention the book's in the Restricted Section. But I suppose we can ask Professor McGonagall if she'll give us permission to go there anyway, especially since it might help the Aurors."

"Hopefully so. Slytherin's monster could turn out to be worse than imagined and more people could wind up dead in the process of trying to capture it."

"Right. Well, the Aurors aren't going after it until noon, so we have a little time. We'll ask the professor after breakfast, then," Harry said.

"After breakfast," Hermione agreed with a nod.

Hermione waited until Harry and Tonks finished eating. They then asked the Auror to accompany them back to McGonagall's office. The three exited the Great Hall and headed down the main corridor. But when they approached the Deputy Headmistress' chamber, the door was closed and two new Aurors, from the second contingent, stood guard on either side. Harry and Hermione could hear arguing among several people inside.

"Jenkins, Bilby," Tonks said, acknowledging her fellow Aurors.

"Tonks," a grey-headed, but fierce looking wizard replied. His companion nodded at the pink-haired witch.

"You're early," Tonks commented, "Jimmy said you wouldn't be arriving until noon."

"Change of plans," the brown-haired one said, "when Minister Fudge heard what happened, we were dispatched immediately."

Harry and Hermione exchanged concerned glances.

"Well, these two would like to see Professor McGonagall," Tonks told the guards while placing a hand on both Harry and Hermione's shoulders.

"Nothin' doin', I'm afraid," Bilby replied, "the professor is in an important meeting with James, Diggory, Lucius Malfoy, and the Minister himself. We were told to let no one in under any circumstances."

"Malfoy?" Harry asked with a furrowed brow at Hermione. But he put this odd development aside for the moment and looked at the Auror.

"Sir, this concerns information on the monster the Aurors are about to go after, it could be really important!" Harry stated.

"Sorry, lad, but we can't let you in. If it's that important, Tonks here can relay it to the Head Auror. Now, go back to your studying."

Harry and Hermione looked at Tonks who grimaced at them.

"Come on," she said, steering them away from the door, "later, you two."

"Later, Tonks," Jenkins replied.

As the three walked down the main corridor, the Auror looked at both of them.

"So, what's this information that's so important?"

"We're not sure, exactly," Hermione answered her, "but we believe the monster is no ordinary snake. It might be more dangerous than we think, and the Aurors may not know what they're up against."

"But, there is a book in the library that could tell us for sure. We need to get in there and look it up," Harry added.

Tonks frowned and shook her head.

"Sorry, you two, but that's not going to happen. You heard what Professor McGonagall said. The library is closed until further notice and she's forbidding students in any part of the castle today except the Great Hall or their dorms."

"But Tonks, what if the Aurors and Hagrid are facing a creature empowered by dark magic?" Hermione pleaded with the witch, "ordinary magic may not work on it!"

"The Ministry Aurors have dealt with loads of dark magic before, Hermione. I wouldn't worry about them. Besides, with Diggory's help, they should be able to apprehend the creature without too much trouble. His department specializes in magical entrapment. I've witnessed them in action myself. And besides all that, I'd be in hot water faster than you can say 'Merlin's beard' if I let you so much as look at the library door. I'm not about to get a black mark on my record this early in my training."

Harry was nonplussed.

"But Tonks, this could be a matter of life or death!" Harry exclaimed, "if we can find out exactly what kind of creature it is, we might be able to save lives! We're sure there's something more to it!"

The Auror stopped, crossed her arms, and gave Harry a perturbed look.

"I said 'no', Harry! I'm not taking you to the library! End of story! Got it?"

Harry and Hermione frowned at one another, realizing they were fighting a losing battle. Tonks continued.

"Now then, I'm afraid you have only two choices: the Great Hall or your dorm, or in your case, Harry, your room in the guest tower. Which will it be?"

The second-years stared at one another with a knowing look. They then looked at the Auror.

"Our dorms, please," Hermione answered.

Tonks smiled.

"Right then. Off we go," she uttered and spun on her heels to head for Tower Hall. Harry and Hermione followed. But they lagged behind a little and Harry leaned toward his friend.

"Get my dad's cloak and find my room in the tower," he whispered to her, "it's the door with a griffin painted on it."

Hermione threw him a worried expression.

"Right," she whispered back.

Tonks deposited Hermione before the Fat Lady's portrait and she and Harry waited until the girl disappeared inside Gryffindor Tower. They then headed for the West Tower and Tonks saw Harry to his room.

"Right then, Harry. I'll be outside your door if you need anything or change your mind and want to head back to the Great Hall. Got it?"

"Got it," the kid answered.

He stepped inside his room and closed the door behind him. He then went over and sat down on the bed.

Now, all he had to do was wait for Hermione.

~HP~

Harry laid in the bed for at least twenty minutes, looking up at the ceiling, thinking about the terrible events over the past two days. He noted that since his blackout after the duel, those strange voices seemed to be ever present now, but remained soft and muted in his mind, despite the one moment where they became loud enough to wake him. What voices were they and what were they 'chattering' about? But before he could think further on it, he heard something shatter on the floor of the level above his room.

Harry shot up in bed and listened intently. He now heard footsteps which headed up the steps in the direction of the noise. Then, the door to his room quietly opened and when Harry stared at the doorway, he saw no one there. Until, that is, Hermione pulled the cloak back from her head and motioned to him to hurry toward her. Harry did so and Hermione covered him with the cloak. Harry closed the door behind him. They then began their descent and caught a glimpse of a confused Tonks coming back downstairs and plopping back into the chair by Harry's room with a frown of puzzlement on her face. Harry smiled. She had fallen for Hermione's distraction perfectly. The invisible second-years disappeared below.

The halls of Hogwarts were mostly empty and silent - a bizarre thing on a Sunday morning. As Harry and Hermione walked quietly in the direction of the library under cover of invisibility, a couple of the new Aurors passed them by. The second-years froze momentarily just in case.

"The caretaker's office is on the ground floor, I believe," one Auror said to the other.

"He probably won't like what we have to tell him," the other responded.

But when they passed Harry and Hermione, one of them glanced in their direction with a furrowed brow. The two students were alarmed. Could he know they were there? But the man then looked ahead once more as though shrugging it off. The second-years were relieved.

When they reached the ancillary hallway leading to the library entrance, they turned and froze once more at the presence of two more people. One of them was Percy Weasley.

"Well, I better be off," he told a tall girl with long, curly brown hair, while taking one of her hands, "I need to check on the students in the dorm. They're getting restless already, what with the restrictions and all."

"Me too," the girl responded, and when she glanced around the corner of the hall, the Ravenclaw Prefect's badge appeared clearly on her robes, "Flitwick's probably wondering where I went off too. But...maybe...we can meet up later...after dinner."

Percy's face turned as red as his hair, and he grinned from ear to ear.

"I'd like that, Penny," he told her warmly.

The girl smiled, leaned in, gave him a brief peck on the cheek.

"Okay. Catch you later Percy," she told him dreamily.

She then hurried off in the direction of the Great Hall. The Weasley teen stared after her for a moment in wonder, before rushing off toward Tower Hall himself. This was astonishing.

"Stern and starchy Percy has a girlfriend?" Harry muttered quietly to Hermione.

"And he's breaking the rules in order to see her?" she responded in kind.

They both chuckled softly before heading to the library.

Once at the door, Hermione reached out to try it. It was locked. She then pulled her wand and pointed it at the door. Harry glanced behind to make sure no one was there.

"Alohomora!" she uttered quietly.

There was a soft THUNK as the lock released. The pair froze and listened, hoping no one had heard it. After several moments of silence, they were satisfied and Hermione opened the door, allowing them inside.

Despite the beautiful, crisp morning sunlight pouring in through the library's myriad of casement windows, the library itself seemed eerie. The two second-years were accustomed to at least a some noise from their fellow pupils rummaging among the old bookshelves. But the silence made it feel like they were entering someone's burial crypt.

They made their way toward the back and to the Restricted Section. Carefully stepping over the rope barrier with the invisibility cloak on, the two had arrived. Once around the nearest shelf, out of sight of the doorway, Hermione pulled off the cloak and then pulled a slip of parchment out of her robes.

"Now," she uttered quietly, "it should be in the 'S' section."

Harry glanced at the shelf signs.

"Down further, toward the end," he said while motioning to the girl.

They moved silently in that direction, headed down the aisle marked "S-T" and searched for the book. A moment later, Hermione's eyes lit up.

"There!" she said in a near whisper, reaching up above her head and pulling out an old book with a faded lavender cover. When the girl held it in her hands, they saw the book's title in barely readable letters of de-bossed gold which were flaking off.

Legendary Creatures and the Dark Magic Behind Them

by Newt Scamander

Author of the bestselling book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

The second-years looked at one another in wonder.

"That's the same author and book from our first-year list," Harry noted.

Hermione nodded back. She then opened the book and by the dim light filtering in through the Restricted Section's windows, they searched for the creature in question. In contrast to the more whimsical beasts of Scamander's famous first book, this one held descriptions of both bizarre and horrific creatures not normally encountered in the wizarding world: minotaurs, cyclopses, inferi, and giant, three-headed hydras, as well as a myriad of other mythical monsters whose names were accompanied by small drawings of each.

"Look!" Hermione uttered, pointing at the list.

Harry followed her gaze and saw a drawing of what looked like...a large snake! Next to the drawing the title "Basilisk" appeared. The two stared at one another wide-eyed. Hermione quickly flipped to the page.

A much larger drawing appeared and beneath it was a descriptive paragraph:

The Basilisk

"Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk, also known as the King of Serpents. This snake, which may reach gigantic size and live many hundreds of years, is born from a chicken's egg, hatched beneath a toad. Its methods of killing are most wondrous, 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 the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the Basilisk flees only from the crowing of the rooster, which is fatal to it."

"All who are fixed with the beam of its eyes shall suffer instant death," Harry repeated out loud, "Hermione, could Filch have been killed by the snake's stare?"

"It's possible. But then why didn't Mrs. Norris die from it too, unless..." Hermione uttered while looking up at him wide-eyed, "she only saw the snake's reflected eyes...in the water on the floor! Perhaps seeing the eyes of the creature indirectly only petrifies you!"

Both of them were astonished. Harry then recalled the image of the petrified Auror.

"And...the Auror who was petrified in the attack last night seemed to be frozen like he had been looking down at something...down into the water on the floor!"

Hermione smiled at him.

"I think this confirms it, Harry. Slytherin's monster is a Basilisk. We need to tell..."

But before Hermione could finish, they were both bolted in place by the sound of jingling keys coming from behind one of the shelves. The second-years stared at one another in horror and Harry wondered if Hagrid had somehow discovered them entering the library illegally. As the sound drew nearer, Hermione quietly closed Scamander's book and replaced it on the shelf. Harry then took his cloak and placed it over them both. They stood as still and silent as possible. The sound of the keys now seemed to be right at the end of the aisle. Harry took Hermione's hand and was about to lead her in the opposite direction. But before they could take a single step, a voice called out.

"Well, well, now Governors. We are in trouble."

Harry froze, turned, and gazed at Hermione in shock. The girl herself looked petrified, her eyes wide as saucers. Not only was the voice familiar, but the one from whom it came could somehow see them inside the invisibility cloak. Both of these facts seemed...impossible!

The two turned and Harry removed the cloak. The second-years stood there, completely stunned at the sight before them.