Lucy has never really felt any positive emotion upon entering Hogwarts. The first time there was the required awe and excitement, but she got over that as soon as the Hat sentenced her to death. Tonight however, on the eve of her final year, she feels an almost overwhelming rush of relief as she steps into the entryway. It's almost immediately replaced by guilt.
As much as Lucy loves her family, as eternally grateful as she is for their patience and goodwill, Nymphadora has officially reached her toddler years. Toddlers are already bad enough. Throw in some magic and shapeshifting and they're a bloody nightmare. Lucy often wonders if this second life of hers is actually a part of some hell. She's always hated children, always vehemently swore against ever having them. Now fate has decreed that in addition to suffering through six school years with the pests, her summer home has an infestation of the worst kind as well.
Sirius Black is often just as difficult as Nymph. The horcrux hunt has reached a dead end. Apparently, the City of London has better things to keep record of than orphanages that have long since been transformed into salons and shops. It doesn't help that Lucy can only remember two things about it: It was possibly in the east end and definitely involved a Ms. Cole. Maybe. Despite all of his cleverness, Sirius is of no help at all. He quickly grew bored with all of the research and demanded to practice dueling or go visit the pool. She'd made the mistake of losing her temper with him on one particularly hot day. Nym was wailing at the top of her lungs, Andi was refusing Coco's help, Lucy was PMSing, and Sirius was restless. She exploded in a torrent of curses and insults, ending her tirade with 'You're no better than a thirteen year old boy and yet you always ask why I like Sev better!'
She knew the words were a mistake as soon as they left her mouth. In all of her ignorance, she thought he would scream for a bit, go sulk at the Potters, then return so they could make up. It was wishful thinking. Sirius immediately disappeared and came back three days later with a dangerous glint in his eye. Apparently, the only part he heard of her tirade was 'thirteen year old boy'. He spent the next two months walking around shirtless and driving her absolutely mad with his flirtatious antics. Ted and Andi seemed to think it was hilarious. They happened to grow suddenly concerned for their daughter's wellbeing when Lucy brought it up.
"It's sad, isn't it?"
Lucy jolts to attention. A pretty girl with long blonde curls sighs as she wraps her arm around Lucy's.
"I know you haven't had the typical Hogwarts experience," Violet Brown says as she leads them into the Great Hall, "but it's still sad. It's our last year of freedom. I've only got a war or marriage contracts to look forward to after this."
They spend the Welcoming Feast gossiping about nonsense: Zafeera Shariq's enchanted hijab, Alice soon-to-be Longbottom's new pixie cut, Dumbledore's latest eye-gouging robes. It's a nice change of pace from soul splitting and battle tactics. It takes a while for Lucy to realize it's an escape for Violet too. Pure of blood as she is, her brother is an auror. She's probably spent her time in the common room dodging Death Eaters with hints of dowries and promises of fertility.
The thought keeps Lucy up throughout the night. She spends the night sitting on her bed with the Bloody Baron for company, flipping through an old book she bought in Knockturn.
Lucy only attended classes her first three years of Hogwarts. Even then the professors assigned different lessons to work on in the corner. Dumbledore finally took pity on her in fourth year and agreed to self study so long as she met with the professors two or three times a week. There are three exceptions to the rule: astronomy, potions and defense.
Astronomy is learned better in a practical setting and she had it with the Ravenclaws besides. They always made lessons interesting. As for potions, no one meets with Slughorn during office hours unless it's absolutely necessary. Defense, on the other hand, is a necessity. The experience of the instructor is just as important as the technique and theory of the magic. There hasn't been a professor to offer a specialized lesson plan each year either.
This year, Dumbledore has had to resort to dividing the Defense position between three aurors. Rumor has it Auror Diaz was offered the position first and refused to teach anyone other than NEWT students. Lucy has a feeling they'll get along famously. They can bond over their hatred of children if nothing else.
Her classmates don't seem to be half as confident. The Slytherins have commandeered the left side of the classroom, desperate to soak in as much sunlight as possible before curfew. There are twelve of them in total, glancing from the door to the fourteen Gryffindors nervously. Lucy pointedly ignores a set of grey eyes burning into her back and drops into a seat beside Severus.
"You mind?" She asks, already passing over a box of candies in payment. All the Slytherins fight to sit beside Severus Snape. It's usually Lucy that is chosen for the honor since she's the only one that doesn't want to copy his answers.
He pops a caramel sweet in his mouth. "Black looks like he does."
"I've had enough of Black, thank you."
"Ah, that's right," he drawls. "How was your summer, Lucille?"
"Simply marvelous, Severus. How was yours? "
Before he can answer, the door slams shut. A short man with broad shoulders and deep brown skin strides quickly through the Gryffindor aisle. He's either a halfblood or a pureblood judging by his wizarding apparel, though not overly concerned with his appearance. His trousers are ruffled and his grey robe is on the verge of slipping off one shoulder.
"Good morning."
Lucy startles. It's been so long since she's heard that accent. Something warm and sad rises in her chest. She'd assumed their professor would be Spanish. She hadn't dreamed...
"My name is Julio Diaz. I worked in the US Auror division for fifteen years before I met my wife. She wanted to move back to Ireland, so here I am two decades later. Teaching you." His dark eyes trail over the classroom slowly. "I'm not going to sugarcoat this. There's a war on. I won't be preaching about which side to join or lecturing you on right or wrong. You're adults. That's your decision to make."
He ruffles his wiry grey hair as he scowls.
"I'm a teacher. You're a student. It's my job to keep you safe and teach you how to keep yourself safe. Sometimes that means fighting. Sometimes that means running. Sometimes it means passing your NEWTs."
A few Gryffindors chuckle weakly. He flicks his wand and scrolls of parchment soar to land on each of their desks. The more athletic students catch theirs out of the air. Out of habit from potions, Severus unrolls his syllabus and charms it to hover in the middle of the table. He and Lucy read it hungrily. It's so rare to have a competent Defense Professor.
"As you can see, most of this class will be practical with an emphasis on dueling. I've never understood why Hogwarts doesn't have a mandatory dueling course. And you lot, simmer down." James and Sirius turn back to the front with innocent smiles. "The first time I catch you doing anything other than learning, I will punish you in a way you've never even dreamed of. The first thing you learn to do as an Auror is bend the rules."
Severus snorts in amusement. It immediately fades as Lily Evans raises her hand.
"Yes, Miss..."
"Evans. Lily Evans. I was just wondering...the syllabus says we're to receive a demonstration on the unforgivables this week."
The temperature in the room plummets. Almost as one, every student in the room swivels in their seat to stare at Lucy. Auror Diaz follows their gaze with a raised brow.
"It seems you've already had a demonstration."
Lucy smiles an Andromeda Tonks smile, the same smile Narcissa and Bellatrix Black learned at the knees of their mother. Several of the Slytherins shudder.
"Just the once, Professor. I checked and it was all very legal."
"That was the only legal thing you cast that night," someone mutters. Someone else kicks at their chair. It's one thing to get the mudblood in trouble; it's another to rat her out for using the Dark Arts. It goes against an unspoken code passed down from Slytherin to Slytherin and Ravenclaw to Ravenclaw for centuries.
"Why don't you let me be the judge of that? What's your name?"
"Lucille Tonks. Mudblood of Slytherin."
Sirius is the only one to bark out a laugh. The Slytherins have long since grown used to her 'low brow humor, must you drag our name through the mud further?' The Gryffindors, however, look like the common room had that terrible October night. All wide eyes and gaping mouths.
"Why don't you tell us the story, Miss Tonks? What could have prompted a student to use an Unforgivable in Hogwarts?"
Severus huffs in contempt. He and Sirius and James haven't resorted to Unforgivables just yet, but they've thrown worse things at one another. His disdain doesn't go unnoticed by the professor. Auror Diaz's gaze darts from Severus to Lucy and back again.
"Tell me, Miss Tonks. What happened in your first year?"
"A snake attacked. I killed it."
"Killed it how?"
"With magic."
"What kind of magic?"
"The green sort."
Severus manages to snort and scoff at the same time.
"Why the Killing Curse?"
"Everything else bounced off."
His bushy brows raise. "What sort of snake was it?"
"Magical Burmese. Hagrid helped me look it up."
One of the Gryffindors curses vehemently.
"You said everything else bounced off. What else did you try?"
"Oh, you know. A little bit of this. A little bit of that."
"No, I don't know, Miss Tonks."
"No, I suppose you don't. I do suppose you know who my sister-in-law is, though."
The tension in the room tightens enough to snap. Several people glance over at Sirius. Lucy suddenly wishes Regulus was in their year. His reaction would be interesting. She'll probably hear of it, anyway. This calls for a summons. She's never mentioned Andromeda in public before.
Sirius flips his wand in the air, catches it, and winks roguishly. "They don't call it black magic for nothing."
The professor relaxes against his desk, crossing his arms thoughtfully.
"Yes, why don't we talk about that. Black magic. Dark magic. Tell us, Lucy, what did it feel like to cast the Killing Curse?"
Lucy weighs her options, before deciding the truth might make them fear her more than mystery. The enigma of it all can only work for so long.
"A rush. Of relief at first. Then power. There was pain, you see, but only a little. It felt like pulling a muscle. I figured he wasn't much more intelligent than a snake. It could hurt too bad, could it?"
"What couldn't hurt?" A ginger Gryffindor named Robinson asks. Though hardly more than a whisper, his voice booms like a thundercloud in the silence. "Why would it hurt?"
"Murder splits the soul," Sirius rasps. His face is drawn and darkening to a dangerous shade of grey. "Battle is one thing. Revenge is another, given the magic and the circumstances, but murder..."
He jerks to his feet, his chair clambering to the ground in a deafening crash.
"Excuse me, Professor. Beans gave me the shits."
James Potter screws his face up incredulously as Sirius rushes out of the room. The class blinks after him stupidly.
"Fucking Blacks," Yaxley mutters. "Mad, the whole lot of them."
"But they're all so pretty," a Gryffindor boy sighs wistfully.
Auror Diaz sighs too, his full of annoyance.
"Very well, that's enough for one day. I'll see you this time on Wednesday, where we'll discuss the Unforgivables in detail. Class dismissed."
Everyone is slow to leave. Several of the students immediately surround the professor, bombarding him with questions. Lucy takes advantage of the chaos to slip out the door and hurry down to the dungeons. She isn't the least bit surprised to find Sirius pacing outside her room like a madman. He lunges forward and shakes her shoulders.
"Horcruxes?" He hisses. "Voldemort's hor-"
"Not here, you idiot!"
She shoves him off and places her palm against the door, whispering an incantation. The door glows, runes alight on the frame, and it pops open gently. She drags Sirius inside, glancing over her shoulder to ensure no one is watching.
He pulls up short as they enter. She frowns, trying to imagine her little flat as he's seeing it. The house elves helped her expand it a bit and she suspects the Headmaster is responsible for the bathroom hiding behind the thick emerald curtains. A double bed is shoved in the corner. Books line the transfigured shelves covering every inch of spare wall. She's kept the Slytherin theme for the most part, but thrown in some complementary colors and posters throughout the years.
He runs a hand over the silver sheets of her bed.
"You've been this isolated since first year?"
Lucy rolls her eyes. "I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm not as extroverted as you are, Sirius. I get exhausted being around so many people all the time."
"I know but...aren't you going to close that?" He asks, glancing at the door.
"No one can hear us."
His broad frame tenses. "Well yeah, but this is..." he waves his hands wildly. "This is different! You could have told me! Horcruxes, Lucy? Voldemort's bits of soul hiding around the countryside?!"
"You don't have to help me anymore," she says softly. "I know it's dangerous-"
"That's what you think this is about?!" He claws a hand through his hair and begins pacing again. Lucy sighs, makes her bed with a flick of her wand, and makes herself comfortable. "How did you even find out?! How he had them, where they are? Do you even know what you're dealing with? You've got them in a muggle bank, for Merlin's sake!"
"If I've got someone tailing me, they're not going to think twice about a mudblood going to a muggle bank and I can't very well leave them at home, can I?"
"No, but-"
"But nothing. As soon as I can destroy them-"
"You can't destroy them! That's the whole point of a horcrux, Lucy!"
Lucy scowls. "Don't raise your voice at me. And yes, there are ways to destroy them. Fiendfyre and basilisk venom are proven, but I think-"
Sirius's brows raise into his hairline. "And when, pray tell, have you had the opportunity master-"
"Careful, Sirius. Your pureblood is showing." She waves off his anger with a dismissive hand. "And anyway, the Baron and I thought up a plan for the-"
The walls suddenly glow and vibrate as magic brushes against the wards. Sirius and Lucy spin, wands raised, to find Albus Dumbledore smiling at them in spangled blue robes. Curiously enough, Regulus Black stands proudly at his side.
"Bloody fucking hell," Sirius mutters.
Lucy gives him a scathing look. "Sit down, be quiet, and whatever you do, don't look either of them in the eye."
He grumbles and obeys, crossing his arms petulantly. The amethyst duvet crinkles as he climbs on the bed. Lucy slashes her wand at the doorframe until the doorframe lights up a blinding pink.
"Come in."
"Thank you, Lucille," Dumbledore says. He looks around curiously, a twinkle in his eyes she's never seen on him before. He's always Dumbledore the War General in her presence. She's never had the opportunity to meet Professor Dumbledore. "Extraordinary wards. Extraordinary."
Regulus enters on his heels, his sharp gaze immediately going to the innumerable books.
"Thank you, Professor," she says.
"Of course, of course. I'm glad to see your stomach has settled so quickly, Mr. Black. Beans on toast can be hard on the digestive system."
Sirius, to his credit, doesn't hesitate.
"Just needed a quick potion."
Regulus snorts. He glances over his shoulder at Lucy. If Lucy were going to fancy either brother, it would be the younger one. He's just as tall as Sirius, it not more slender. His eyes are deeper set, his lips less shapely, and his face a bit longer, but he still looks like Sirius. In fact, he almost could be Andromeda's brother rather than Sirius's. Lucy is wise enough to keep that thought to herself.
"May I?" He inquires, gesturing to her library.
She nods. "Just be careful with the top shelf."
"I'm far more interested in this." He pulls down a yellow book from the second shelf. "'72 Charms for Curing Cheeses.'"
"Compiled by a Mongolian wizard, believe it or not," She adds. It's one of her favorite finds from the Room of Requirement.
"Fascinating," Dumbledore murmurs. He begins perusing the shelves as well, his long nose mere inches from the spines.
Lucy cringes. "Careful, Professor. There's a nasty tome in that corner that doesn't react well to halfbloods."
He immediately backs away. "Oh, of course. Thank you."
"Doesn't seem to mind muggleborns or purebloods or even Professor Flitwick. Only halfblood wizards and witches."
"A truly singular discrimination." He shakes his head as though clearing his thoughts. "Regretfully, I didn't come here to discuss literature. My visit pertains to your Defense class."
Lucy nods. "I figured. There isn't much room, but I think we can manage a few conjur-"
"What's he doing here?" Sirius demands.
Regulus returns the book and smiles gently at his brother. "Perhaps I just wanted to check up on our dear cousin."
"She's not our cousin."
"Don't worry, Siri. That's never stopped any of our family before."
Lucy has the sudden urge to disappear through the floor, much like the Baron has a habit of doing. It intensifies when Dumbledore busies himself with conjuring small armchairs in an poor attempt to hide his amusement.
Regulus smirks as Sirius clenches his jaw.
"It's like that muggle saying. How does it go? You can take the wizard from of the purebloods, but you can't take the-"
"Regulus," Sirius snarls warningly.
"Oh, come off it," Lucy scoffs. "You know he's right. You even said 'pray tell' a moment ago."
Regulus's eyes shine with a familiar mad glint. Before he can say anything, Dumbledore claps his hands.
"Here we are, seats for everyone," he announces jovially.
Lucy picks the closest, a rather pretty pale blue one. Dumbledore and Regulus choose the others, one yellow and the other white. The two of them are so tall and the room so narrow, their knees almost knock together. For once in her life, Lucy is content with being as short as a second year.
Dumbledore beams at his students, causing Lucy to shift uncomfortably. She's not accustomed to him being so friendly.
"Very good, very good! Who would like to begin? Regulus, perhaps?"
Regulus nods deeply. "Of course, Headmaster. I also came to discuss the Defense class. Lucy has always been an outsider in Slytherin. Despite that, she's always remained respectful of the Black name. Today is the first time she's ever mentioned Cousin Andromeda in public."
He catches Lucy's gaze and holds it.
"I wanted to thank you for your discretion. You have had every right to be anything other than mature. I know it's more for Andromeda and perhaps even Nymphadora than myself, but I am still grateful."
Sirius's eyes bug out at the mention of Nymph.
"You're welcome."
"You know Nymph's name?"
Regulus huffs impatiently. "Who do you think handles the Black affairs now that Father's passed? It certainly isn't our sweet Mother and I wasn't about to let Lestrange sully our name."
"But-"
"I must be discrete in these things, Sirius, a word that you are apparently unfamiliar with. How Lucille tolerated your presence over an entire summer, I'll never know."
"I'm not an idiot, Reggie."
"No, you're just a Gryffindor," Lucy snaps. She cringes, glancing over at Dumbledore. "No offense, Professor."
"None taken," he chuckles.
"If Sirius is done, I'd like to finish," Regulus says.
At his brother's stiff shrug, he continues on as if he were never interrupted. Lucy is once again reminded of why she holds purebloods in such envious contempt. They're all so fucking graceful. His type might kill you slow, but they'd do it with poise.
"I also wanted to commend you on how you handled the situation. Not that I expect anything less, mind you, I merely wanted to clarify that there are no ill feelings harbored."
"Thank you."
Regulus sucks in a breath before turning to his brother. "I'd also like to give you a gold star, Sirius. You handled the situation well, at least until you used your breakfast beans as an excuse to escape a stressful situation. Honestly, brother. You've been using that since you were five."
"If it works, it works," he shrugs.
Dumbledore clears his throat rather violently. None of them are fooled. Regulus reverts his attention to Lucy.
"I'd also like to issue a formal invitation for you to return to the Slytherin common room."
Lucy straightens her spine. Now, this is unexpected. The current King of Serpents accepting a known muggleborn and Voldemort antagonist into Slytherin. She narrows her eyes at him.
"Does this invitation come from you or the Dark Lord?"
Dumbledore sits upright, but doesn't interrupt.
"From me," Regulus answers calmly. "If Lucius had half a brain, he would have cultivated you all those years ago. Only a fool would ostracize a Slytherin with a mind like yours."
"He did more than ostracize me."
"That he did." Regulus smiles his first genuine smile of the afternoon. It gives him a distinctly wolflike appearance. "And look at what you did. Would you have done it? Would you have killed him if the Baron had not intervened?"
Dumbledore peers over his spectacles sharply.
"Your darling Cousin Cissy would be better off for it."
"Hmm. Maybe. Lucius is malleable. Others may not be so...soft."
"I'm afraid I must intervene," Dumbledore interrupts, making a point of meeting Lucy's eyes. "Would you have killed Lucius Malfoy?"
Lucy holds his gaze steadily and says, "No."
He deflates visibly.
"Don't be mistaken, Professor. It was only because even as a child I realized Lucious Lucius wasn't someone worth shredding my soul over."
Sirius laughs almost desperately. Dumbledore doesn't appear nearly as amused.
"You think yourself capable of murder?"
Lucy lets her gaze wander over her room as she gather her thoughts.
"It's like Sirius said earlier. There's a distinction between murder and defense or revenge."
"But when does revenge go too far? Who are we mortals to dole out death?"
Lucy laughs. She's can't hold it in. It's an ironic question coming from a man who raised a boy for slaughter.
"I have my anchors, Professor, just as you have Fawkes, correct?"
Dumbledore nods slowly, confirming a controversial opinion on the nature of domesticated phoenixes. Most scholars believe only the purest wizards and witches are capable of bonding with phoenixes. Lucy has always disagreed, from the very moment she read the words on the page. It always seemed pointless to her. Others argue that phoenixes bond with conflicted wizards, wizards that require a light in the darkness, so to speak. Someone reborn from their own ashes. Maybe it's romantic, but Lucy always liked the idea.
A sudden crack rings out in the room and a house elf appears. He drops a crate of clucking roosters at Lucy's feet.
"Here's you go, Miss Lucy. Is you be needin' anything else for you's project?"
"Bloody fucking hell!" Sirius roars, jumping off the bed. "You've got to be FUCKING KIDDING ME!"
Lucy groans. He's as bad as a house elf. No subtlety at all.
"No thank you, Zoopey," she says tiredly.
The house elf nods, disappearing with a cautious glance at Sirius.
"First h-" he begins, but Lucy jabs her wand at him, vanishing his mouth entirely. His eyes widen comically as he claws at his face.
"Miss Tonks, I demand that you set Sirius back at once."
"Don't worry, Professor," Regulus says absentmindedly, his attention caught on the annoyed roosters. "Mother used to hit him with it twice a day. He'll remember the counter curse after he calms down."
He rises and squats in front of the crate, curiously poking his wand through the hole. One squawks in protest.
"I'll keep my mouth shut for ten percent and three vials of venom," he says nonchalantly.
Dumbledore rushes to his feet, much like Sirius had moments before.
"Miss Tonks, please tell me Mr. Black is mistaken. You surely cannot mean to hunt down a basilisk."
Lucy takes a deep breath as she stands, straightening her robes and pinafore as she gathers herself. She really, really didn't mean for anyone to get involved, let alone Albus Dumbledore. It wasn't even a scenario she thought up in her planning the night before. All because of Sirius fucking Black and his Gryffindor tendencies.
"First, Professor, I would like to your remind you of the Bulstrode-McNair Act of 1809, stating that-"
"That the proceeds from the killing of a magical creature classified above XXX go directly to the hunter and her assistants, no matter which lands, government owned or not, the creature was killed on." Dumbledore presses his lips together firmly. "I cannot allow this, Lucille. You will lead me to the Chamber and I will contact the proper authorities."
"Can't do that, Professor."
"Yes, you bloody well can!" Sirius interrupts. "You accuse me of being a reckless idiot twice a week, but I've never done anything half as stupid as going after a goddamn basilisk!"
Lucy raises her chin, ignoring him entirely.
"Professor, I really must insist. I am of age and the law clearly states-"
"You are a student, Miss Tonks, and I will not allow endanger my students so carelessly."
"If that were true you wouldn't have left an eleven year old at the mercy of Voldemort's followers."
Dumbledore inhales sharply. He lets it out in a rush, his shoulders slumping miserably.
"That was foolish and cowardly of me, Miss Tonks. It's part of why I came here this afternoon. The Hat-"
"You know, no one has ever asked me what it is that I'm so hungry for. You all assume it's for power or something terrible. For all you know, my life's ambition could be to start a farm in the middle of the French countryside."
Sirius barks out a laugh. "I'd pay to see that. You won't sit on the grass without conjuring a blanket."
"Fuck off, Sirius. This isn't the time."
"No dear girl, I believe it is. You are a burgeoning dark witch who seems to possess more knowledge about Lord Voldemort than perhaps even myself. You've spent your years at my school studying the same old magics that Tom was partial to. Quite frankly, the only reason I haven't intervened thus far is because you do not hold enough brute power to become a Lady in your own right. I can no longer allow this to continue, not after this latest revelation."
Lucy chews on her lip. There's a contingency plan for this. She thought it up years ago, she just hoped she never had to use it. She turns on her heel, arms crossed as she thinks it through. The Bloody Baron is there, watching her grimly.
"What do you think, Baron?"
He only stares at her like he always does, a spectral projection of her own conscience. She's never asked why he has kept her company throughout the years. Truthfully, she's always been a little afraid of the answer. She's always been afraid of everything this time around.
Lucy turns on her heel quick enough for the others to startle. She throws her shoulders back and holds her spine straight, just as Andromeda taught her. She may not ever be a Dark Lady, but she can sure as hell act like one.
She catches Regulus's attention first.
"You either leave or you swear an unbreakable vow."
He grins that predatory, wolffish smile of his.
"I thought you'd never ask."
He rolls up his sleeves and kneels on the floor, just as Dumbledore vanishes the chairs. Lucy mirrors him as gracefully as she can manage. His hand is warm and smooth when she grasps it.
Dumbledore steps forward, wand raised, but Regulus shakes his head.
"I'd rather my brother cast it, if you don't mind."
The headmaster lowers his chin in acquiescence. Sirius replaces him, an almost suspicious expression on his face. He places the tip of his ebony wand on their linked hands. There, kneeling beside a crate of roosters, the scion of House Black swears to withhold knowledge from the most powerful Dark Lord of the century. Dumbledore looks like he might cry when Regulus helps her to her feet.
"Alright then," she says, taking a deep breath. She looks up at three men nervously. "I'm a Seer. And I know how to kill Voldemort."
A frightening mad gleam alights in Regulus's eyes. Yaxley was right. They really are all crazy as loons. She'd thought it was just Sirius.
"Well then," he says, "let's go kill a basilisk."