The Potter Timeline
Chapter 40 - Setting a Trap
"Mr. Filch!" Harry let out in disbelief.
There, before them, the old caretaker stood in the aisle staring back. He wore the same ragged old clothes and sported the same scraggly hair as always. Except...he was translucent and grey.
The ghost of Argus Filch!
"Hehe..." the spook uttered with a smirk as he floated toward Harry and Hermione in the aisle.
"So, that's how you was gettin' around last year, Master Potter! I knew it was you! And now, I can see through your little tricks! You won't be sneakin' under the nose of old Filch no more!"
But regardless of the ghost's words, Harry strangely felt relief at the sight of him.
"Mr. Filch, you don't know how glad we are to see you!" he uttered.
This stunned the spook and his face registered surprise.
"Oh! Well...it...took me a while to find me way back. But...here I am again, and here I'm gonna stay," he said more pleasantly.
"What happened the night of the attack and where have you been this whole time?" Hermione asked him eagerly.
Filch looked up and brought a translucent hand to his chin.
"Hmm...let's see. I got up from me chair to stretch me legs and looked away for a moment. Then, I heard this noise and when I turned back, Mrs. Norris was lyin' there in the water. I look up and sees these two, big yellow eyes staring back at me. The next thing I knew, I was starin' down at me own body, lyin' there next to me cat."
Harry and Hermione exchanged glances - the man had indeed been killed by the creature's stare!
"What happened then?" Harry asked.
"Well, everything went blurry, and I found meself somewhere by the seashore, I think, though it was all bright and hazy. Looked kinda like Ireland, but...blue and pink instead. Don't know how I got there and don't know why. But after a bit, I decided to find me way back here to Hogwarts. Travelin' without a body is tricky at first, but you get the hang of it."
Filch looked at the pair with a raised eyebrow.
"And you wouldn't believe some o' the things I seen along the way," he said with a nod, "but, here I am."
The ghost now took on a very dark, angry countenance and flew right up to the kids who stepped back in fright.
"Now, what I want to know is..." he began with a fierce stare, "...WHERE IS ME CAT?! WHERE IS MRS. NORRIS?!"
Harry and Hermione both jumped at this.
"She's...fine, Mr. Filch, though still petrified," Hermione said, "but...Professor Sprout is making a serum from her Mandrake plants that will restore her."
Filch looked at the girl with squinty eyes as though she was lying to him. Harry stepped next to her.
"It's true, and we can prove it to you," he said, "come with us. Professor McGonagall would like to see you, no doubt. And she can take you to Mrs. Norris, too."
Filch's face changed back to pleasant.
"Ah! Well...in that case...lead on, Master Potter," the ghost uttered with a mum look.
Harry and Hermione exchanged grins. They hurried out of the library with the ghost of the old caretaker floating behind. Sprinting down the hallway heading for the main corridor, Harry and Hermione heard voices from around the corner.
"You're sure they went to the library?" McGonagall asked.
"No doubt professor," Tonks answered, "that's what they kept going on about."
When the second-years rounded the corner, they encountered the professor and Auror walking swiftly in their direction. And to their relief, Hagrid, James, and Amos Diggory were with them - they hadn't descended to the lower levels yet.
Diggory, instead of a blue suit and bowler hat, wore a black uniform with an important looking badge on it. Accompanying him were a witch and wizard, both wearing the same uniform. All three carried large bags over their shoulders. And behind James stood the blond-haired Auror named Burns.
When Tonks spotted the second-years, she threw them a very annoyed look.
"There you are! You sneaky little..."
"Professor! Tonks! James!" Harry interrupted her as he and Hermione came to a crashing halt before the group, "we're glad we caught you! Don't go into the ruins! The monster is a Basilisk!"
"If you even look at it, it could kill you!" Hermione added.
Everyone stopped wide-eyed before the second-years and looked at one another.
"And how do you know this?" McGonagall asked with a furrowed brow.
"'Cause that's what happened to me, professor!" a scraggly voice uttered from around the corner.
The sound of jingling keys was heard as Filch flew into the corridor behind the second-years and appeared before the group. McGonagall gasped, Hagrid's jaw dropped, and the others stared at the ghost in astonishment.
"Argus!" the professor uttered in shock, placing a hand to her chest.
"Hello, there, professor," Filch replied before looking at Hagrid with a furrowed translucent brow, "well, Rubeus! You've cleaned up! You shine like a new penny!"
"Filch!" the giant uttered, staring at the ghost in amazement. The spook then flew closer to the woman in green.
"Now, where's me cat?! Where's Mrs. Norris?! I want to see her and see her NOW!"
McGonagall, finally coming to grips with this development, nodded at him.
"Yes, Argus. Don't worry. She's perfectly fine and being held in the hospital wing until the serum is ready. I can take you to her in a moment. But if you don't mind, there's an emergency which must be dealt with presently."
Filch frowned.
"Aw, very well," he muttered sourly.
The woman stared at the ghost with an uncertain expression then turned to the second-years.
"So, you've discovered what Slytherin's monster is."
Harry nodded.
"Yes, ma'am," he answered, "we looked it up in the library. Based on what's happened, everything fits the description of the Basilisk."
"Since the creature's been living for a millennium inside the Chamber, it can't be an ordinary snake," Hermione threw in, "and looking at its eyes indirectly causes petrification - that's what happened to Mrs. Norris and the Auror. They saw the Basilisk's eyes reflected in the water on the floor. But if you look directly into the monster's eyes, like Mr. Filch, it's instant death!"
James and McGonagall exchanged concerned looks. The Head Auror turned to Diggory.
"Well, Amos? Do you think we can capture or kill such a thing?" he asked.
Diggory stepped forward.
"If what these youngsters say is true, then our trap might not work. The device we've brought with us is designed to immobilize the creature by surrounding it, which, as you might guess, requires us surrounding the creature as well. We can't very well do that if the monster can simply kill with its gaze. Unless we can somehow put out its eyes or entrap the thing without looking at it, I'm not sure it can be captured or killed."
Everyone seemed stumped. Then Harry thought of something.
"Could the trap be set up in a smaller space, a tunnel perhaps, with everyone on each side?"
"And the creature be lured into the tunnel?" Diggory asked him.
"Yes," Harry replied, "the doorway to the Chamber is in some sort of corridor that's not very big. But it might be big enough for everyone to stand on both sides, out of the way."
The wizard thought for a moment.
"That's a possibility. But it would require immaculate timing with practically no room for error."
"How many are needed to activate the trap?" James asked.
"Depending on the size and length of the monster, up to six. The trap is a string of directed quartz crystals tied to each other, generally in a circle. Each Trapper stands behind their crystal and when the creature is inside the trap, a coordinated wand blast, with either Stupefy or Immobulus is used. The crystals then amplify the magical energy to render the creature disabled. The power is strong enough to knock out a dragon, if done correctly. The problem is, standing too close to the trap could also render the Trappers immobilized. It depends on how much room the corridor or tunnel affords."
"It was difficult to tell, precisely," Harry answered, "the tunnel had these green torches on either side. But there seemed enough room to move around in, at least."
"How big is this Basilisk?" Auror Burns queried.
"According to Scamander's book, the Basilisk can grow to gigantic size," Hermione replied, "if I had to guess, I'd say it might be thirty to forty feet long."
"Big enough to carry off Weston and fit down those large pipes in the restrooms," Tonks threw in.
Hermione nodded.
"Considerin' the size of the eyes I seen in the main corridor, Governors, it's mighty big," Filch added while slowly floating up and down.
The Aurors and the Trappers threw each other concerned looks.
"Well, it's worth a shot," James said regardless, "we can go down there, find the entrance, and then determine how to set up the trap in a way that can keep everyone alive."
"Exactly, James," Diggory spoke, "you and your Aurors along with me and my Trappers should be sufficient to handle it, I think. And Rubeus, we could use your help moving the beast once it's immobilized."
"Right, Amos," the wizard replied with a nod.
"This is all fine, except for one thing: who's going to lure the Basilisk into the trap and how?" Professor McGonagall asked.
The Aurors and Trappers looked at one another wide-eyed, none of them seeming willing to take on that horrific responsibility.
But Harry stepped forward.
"I will," he told the group.
Hermione grabbed his sleeve. He looked at her to find a worried expression. He gave her a slight smile then looked at James and Diggory.
"As I'm the only one here who can speak Parseltongue, I imagine I'm needed to open the door to the Chamber anyway. Perhaps I can also summon the Basilisk the way Tom did, get it to come out of the Chamber into the tunnel where the trap is set."
"But how will you do that without seeing it?" Hermione asked.
Harry shrugged.
"I'll just have to close my eyes. But I don't think the creature will harm me because of what happened with the snake in my nightmares and the one at the duel. Somehow, they recognized me as their master. This one might as well."
Professor McGonagall threw Harry a worried look.
"Alright, Harry. You'll accompany us and I'll have Hagrid and Tonks ready in case something goes wrong," James said.
Hagrid nodded at Harry and Tonks gave him a confident grin, ruffling his hair affectionately. Harry smiled back.
"That's very brave of you Harry," Diggory said while stepping toward the boy, "and we'll do everything in our power to capture that creature without harm to any involved."
Harry nodded at the man.
"Very well, shall we?" Amos asked. Everyone involved nodded.
"Hermione, if you'll accompany me and Mr. Filch," McGonagall said to the girl, "I can see you to Gryffindor Tower after."
But Hermione's face saddened, and she looked at Harry. The boy took her hand.
"Sorry," he told her, knowing she wanted to help in some way.
Hagrid cleared his throat at seeing the girl's expression.
"Hermione is welcome teh stay in my room with Fang, professor. She shouldn't be in any danger there while we go...monster huntin'."
Hermione beamed gratefully at the giant who gave her a smile and wink. She then looked at Professor McGonagall.
"If you wish, Hermione, very well," she stated.
The woman then looked at the ghost.
"Now, let's go see your cat."
Filch nodded and floated beside the witch as she headed down the corridor, the sound of keys jingling with him.
"By the way, Argus, it's really good to see you again," McGonagall told him with some emotion.
Filch stared at her in surprise.
"Well...I had no idea ol' Filch would be so missed!" the spook said with some embarrassment, "it would warm me heart, professor...if I still had one, that is."
Harry and Hermione chuckled before following the Aurors, Trappers, and Hagrid to the ground floor.
~HP~
The nine left Hagrid's room for the access stairwell. Harry looked back at Hermione as Fang stood beside her eyeing his master.
"Be careful!" she told the boy with a worried look.
Harry smiled and nodded back. The group descended the spiral stairs.
After a couple of minutes, the air grew cooler as Harry recalled from before. The light from Hagrid's wand at the lead and the one from Tonks' at the rear cast eerie shadows along the walls around the group of "monster hunters" as Hagrid referred to them. Then, the final level below the dungeons appeared and with it, the rickety old bridge.
"This way," Hagrid told the others.
The great man stepped out onto it nonchalantly, the bridge creaking and groaning under his weight. The sound of the creaking echoed off the ceiling five meters above everyone's heads. The Aurors and Trappers glanced at one another, concerned the bridge might collapse like Harry and Hermione were their first time across. But it held up, and the group moved out some fifteen meters until the caretaker stopped.
"Here's the spot I was referrin' to," he said while pointing his wand below.
Everyone gazed down to see the walls of the old medieval castle, with their green mold, stretching off into the distance on either side of the bridge. It was creepy in the partial darkness, like a decayed, sunken ship appearing out of black ocean around it. The roof of the building was no more and nothing but rubble remained at a depth of at least five meters from the bridge floor. By the vague light of Hagrid's wand, they could see several interior walls and a stairwell of stone descending into darkness back toward where they had come from.
"If yeh look close enough, yeh can see the boarded-up entrance of the tunnel at the base of the old stairwell," the caretaker added.
James and Amos added their own lit wands to Hagrid's and the light illuminated the top of the castle better. At the bottom of the stairs, which had bits of stone and rubble strewn over them, Harry spotted the large hole with moldy, blackened boards covering it.
"There's a set o' stairs just up at the end," Hagrid informed them.
"Right. Let's head down and make our way through," James replied.
The hunters walked another ten meters before a wooden stairwell appeared which dipped down into the ruins. The Head Auror went first, and the rest followed, Hagrid taking up the rear behind Harry.
As they descended, the chattering voices in Harry's mind intensified for some reason, as though the "persons" were arguing again. This alarmed him. But though the noise was uncomfortable, Harry didn't feel any physical effects from it and tried to put it to the back of his mind as he knew he needed to focus on the arduous task ahead. The nine reached the landing.
"Watch yer step," Hagrid said while shifting his wand around to illuminate the space, "there's no way teh know how well this ol' structure will hold up under our feet."
They began their descent on the stairwell into the interior. The enormous, boarded-up tunnel at the base of the stairs seemed like it might have been the structure's Great Hall at one time, long ago.
When they reached the bottom, James and Diggory pointed their wands at it and light shining through the cracks in between the boards cast sharp, ghost-like shadows behind. Harry and Tonks looked at one another, their faces scrunched up in disgust. Something inside the hall smelled rotten or...dead. The sound of water dripping could be heard from the distant darkness.
James pointed his wand at the right side.
"Reducto!" he uttered with an oval swirl of his wand.
Several boards disintegrated, a few loose ones collapsing onto the stone floor, the sound echoing off the walls and ceiling high above. After James and Burns cleared away the debris, the newly-formed hole was big enough for Hagrid to walk through. The Head Auror took the lead again and passed through. When the others entered after him, several held up their wands. Indeed, this large space was most likely the main hall of the castle where the Medieval lord sat, where regal dinners were held, perhaps even sword competitions between worthy knights of that era. That's what Harry imagined, at least.
Then, not far ahead, the hall ended and the newer, substructure of the school seemed to have been built right up against the old ruins. The stone block walls of the tunnels and corridors stretching off in different directions were certainly of a much later era. The nine passed into the tunnels and before they knew it, several aqueducts appeared followed by the school's piping which led back into the upper levels. The smell of decay and death grew and as the group rounded one corner, their feet crunched on something beneath them.
Tonks pointed her wand at the floor and was startled by multitudes of skeletons: rats, snakes, cats, even a few dog or wolf remains among them. The hair on Harry's neck stood on end. Where did all this come from and what had consumed them?
"Look!" Auror Burns shouted.
The nine turned as she pointed at a large hole which ascended from this depth up to who knew where. And there, on the edges of the circular hole, was...blood.
James and Tonks moved to the hole and gazed up its length as far as possible.
"I hazard a guess this is where the Basilisk entered the pipes," he stated.
"And where it brought Weston down," the pink-haired Auror added.
Everyone stared at one another in horror. Diggory stepped in the opposite direction, moving his wand about.
"It appears to have headed this way," he said.
The monster hunters proceeded further into the tunnel system. The trail of blood ran around several bends in the caverns which were narrow and not very tall. Hagrid had a time getting through a few, though he managed to do so. But when Amos reached the end of a particularly long one, he froze.
"Wait!" he uttered, holding a hand back at the group.
He and James pointed their wands forward and the light hit something long and curled up - like the side of an enormous snake. The others began backing away, their wands held at the ready and their hearts beating out of their chests. But Harry gazed at the unmoving creature in puzzlement. He stepped forward and reached out to touch it.
"Harry!" Tonks uttered as quietly as possible, "what are you doing?!"
He touched the edge of the skin and it...collapsed! He looked at the others.
"This isn't the Basilisk. It's just a skin," he said.
James stepped up and ran his hand along the slick sides.
"This is what the creature shedded," he noted, "so it can't be too far off. Stay alert, everyone."
The group moved past the enormous skin and Diggory held his wand at the floor.
"Here, the trail picks up in this direction," he said.
When the nine turned another corner, two torches suddenly lit of their own accord with green flames. And there, inside this rather oblong antechamber, was the moldy, circular door with its stone snakes - the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets!
The monster hunters stood still momentarily, gazing at the door in wonder.
"This is it," Harry mentioned, "this is what I saw in the vision."
Diggory walked around the antechamber illuminating the floor and ceiling, adding his wand light to the light of the torches.
"The space is smaller than desirable. But it might suffice," he informed the group.
James, scanning the chamber with his wand as well, nodded.
"Alright. Tell us where to stand, Amos."
Diggory and his Trappers removed the bags from their shoulders and opened them, bringing out the large quartz crystals and a set of thick twine strands connecting each. They laid out the crystals on either side of the chamber, three along the floor on both sides of the door, as though creating a runway from the door into the chamber. He then positioned James, Tonks, and Burns near the front, while he and his Trappers took position near the rear. Hagrid was to stand right beside the doorway, out of sight, until the Basilisk came through.
"After Harry opens the door and summons the creature, everyone take a kneeling stance against the wall behind their crystal. Do not get any closer than two feet and be prepared to close your eyes or look away when the thing enters. Once the Basilisk is far enough inside the trap, I'll shout, and everyone will use the immobilization spell on their crystal. Understood?"
The others nodded. Diggory turned to Harry.
"Harry, if you'll stand at the very end facing the doorway. Once you've brought the creature inside, and I give the signal, I want you to run as fast as possible back into the tunnel behind us. But if something goes wrong, me and Thompson will be here at the rear to try to get you out of the way. Understood?"
Harry nodded with some trepidation.
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Everyone take their positions," Diggory said and the group aligned themselves on both sides of the device.
Hagrid stood against the wall on the opening side of the circular door and James stood behind one of the crystals just ahead of the giant. Tonks took her place on the opposite side of James and would be blocked by the door when the Basilisk entered. Harry stepped several feet away from the end of the device where Diggory and Trapper Thompson stood behind their crystals, their backs against the wall. Harry then faced the circular door and his heart started pounding. The chattering voices ramped up again and Harry's face scrunched up in concern.
"What's wrong, Harry?" Tonks asked him from the other end of the trap. The crew gazed at the boy.
But Harry just shook his head at her, swallowing hard while trying to keep composure. He'd do everything in his power to ignore the voices and...focus.
"Ready, Harry?" Amos asked. Gazing at the door in apprehension, the boy nodded.
"Alright," the Head Trapper replied, "go ahead."
Harry recalled the vision of Tom opening the door and remembered the word in Parseltongue.
"Open!" he spoke. The others stared at the doorway intently.
The stone snakes began slithering around the doorway.
THUNK!
The lock releasing caused nearly everyone to jump. The door slowly creaked open until it stood perpendicular to the wall. Now everyone stood deathly still, listening for any sounds. But in the utter blackness behind the doorway, the only sound was of water dripping some distance off. The echo of the water gave one the impression that the Chamber of Secrets was enormous.
After several moments of silence, Diggory looked at Harry and nodded. His heart still pounding, Harry peered into the darkness.
"Come! Come my pet! Come and feast upon the unworthy!"
For the first time, Harry was aware of the hissing sound he made, and it unnerved him. Diggory then nodded at the others and everyone, save Harry, knelt down and hunkered up against the walls with their wands pointed at their crystals. The voices began chattering so loudly in Harry's head he thought for sure everyone could hear it. But then, to his astonishment...they ceased! Harry's brow furrowed. The silence both inside his head and inside the Chamber of Secrets was eerie. But after several moments, nothing happened. There was no sliding of something on the floor, nor the hissing and gurgling Harry recalled from his nightmare.
The Aurors and Trappers gazed at one another puzzled. Diggory nodded once more at Harry and the boy repeated the words in Parseltongue. But several more moments later, still nothing. Confused, Harry stepped over to Amos and leaned down.
"Perhaps I should go partway inside. The creature may not be able to hear me from back here," he whispered to the wizard.
Diggory's face became one of concern, but he then nodded.
"Alright, Harry, but don't go very far," he whispered back, "if something happens, we may not be able to reach you in time."
"Understood," Harry said quietly with a gulp.
He slowly walked toward the darkened doorway. Every eye fell on him, and Tonks threw him a worried expression. Harry tried to appear confident, though his heart was still hammering. When he reached the door, Hagrid leaned over and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. The boy looked in the worried eyes of his giant friend and nodded. The wizard nodded back and resumed his position against the wall. Harry looked inside the Chamber and without further hesitation, stepped over the threshold.
The greenish light from the antechamber revealed an even, well-laid stone floor, partly covered in a thin layer of water, stretching off into the darkness. Harry moved a little further and stopped, ready to speak the words to summon the Basilisk. But a terrific screeching sound from behind caused him to spin around. To his horror, the circular door was closing.
"HARRY!"
Hagrid and Tonks shouting his name was the last thing he heard before the door slammed shut and the loud THUNK sounded behind it. The door was now locked.
"Open!" he spoke to the door in Parseltongue.
Nothing.
"Open! Open!" he tried once again.
But the door would not budge.
Fear swept through the twelve-year-old as he spun back around to face the interior of the completely dark chamber. He was cut off from the others and would have to face Slytherin's monster alone...and whatever other horrors the chamber might hold.
Having no other choice, his heart beating out of his chest, the boy with the lightning-shaped scar slowly proceeded into the darkness.