CHAPTER 35
"RUN!"
Without hesitation Amy and Jim veered sharply in opposite directions, with Harry hot on the former's tail as they ducked and dodged their way through the columns. There was an explosion of water from the small moat surrounding Slytherin's stone head as the Basilisk burst forth with a roar of anger. She immediately tried to smash the Twins to a pulp with her body but the boys quickly leapt out of the way, though Jim clipped his ankle against a column. Unfortunately, the force of the creature's impact knocked Harry to the ground hard roughly forty feet away from his brother and Amy, head and shoulder smashing painfully against the wall.
"HARRY!" Jim's yell drew the attention of the creature who rushed in his direction, maw opened wide to devour the horrified boy.
"YESsSS NAGINI! FINISsSH HIM!"
THUMP.
With barely a heartbeat to spare Harry roared "PROTEGO MAXIMA!", grimacing in satisfaction as his Shield Spell sprung over his older brother, deflecting Nagini's attack. Barely. The force of her blow against his shield caused Harry to groan in pain, his eyes watering from the strain. Gaining his bearings Jim added his own Protego Maxima to his brother's, making sure to avert his gaze while he held the spell.
Shaking off the impact from her crash, Amy set her sights on the Basilisk. She noticed the brothers straining to keep up their shields, and she knew that it would be mere moments before they lapsed. By some greater miracle, she was still holding on the Sword of Gryffindor, gripped tightly in her non-wand hand. With a deep centering breath and drawing on every bit of Gryffindor courage she possessed, the petite witch leapt from behind her hiding place (with eyes closed so she wouldn't be Petrified) and charged full-speed at the creature, screaming a warrior's cry. "OVER HERE YOU GREAT STUPID BEASTIE!"
Her gambit worked halfway; Nagini became distracted and turned her attention from bashing the Potter Twins' shield to the shrieking witchling who had not only grossly insulted her, but was also intent on slaying her. With Godric's sword!
That could not stand.
With a mighty roar Slytherin's Monster turned sharply behind her, amberine eyes flashing with malevolence as she made to devour the little girl whole.
"ACCIO AMY WILKES!" With a sharp "OOF!" the little firstie was yanked right out of the path of the descending Serpent and into the safety of the Potters arms. Drawing on his limited knowledge of herpetology and general reptilian morphology Harry cried "CONJUNCTIVITIS HORRIBILIS!" aiming for the general direction of Nagini's eyes (while keeping his on her belly). A blood-red light leapt from Harry's wand and enveloped the Basilisk's head, causing her to shriek in pain as her eyeballs swelled to nearly thrice their size before bursting into a gory spray of bloody (and rather smelly) viscera, the bulk of which landed on the three horrified students.
"EEEW! Snake eye guts!" Holding back her bile Amy cast a series of Tergeos over herself and the green-faced Potters, who nodded gratefully. Nagini was still shrieking bloody murder, swinging her head carelessly to and fro, succeeding in smashing in several of the columns and creating giant-sized holes in the wall. Debris rained down, forcing the trio to cast a joint Protego to stave off being crushed to death by the massive bits of broken masonry.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" roared Dark-Ron. "YOUR EYES WILL REGENERATE, SsSSTOP SsSCREECHING! DESTROY THE TWINSsS RIGHT-"
"SsSSILENCIO!" With a sharp flick Jim Silenced Ron, who gaped and goggled in comedic shock at losing his voice, hands flying to his throat in horror. Harry turned sharply towards his brother, who blushed and shrugged. "...Mum taught me. Well…not the Parseltongue bit, but the Silencer part. The Silencing Charm will work on anything capable of making a sound, including ghosts and other intangible spirits. Figured now's a better time than ever." He blushed some more as his younger brother gaped, before jerking in surprise as Harry slapped him genially on the shoulder.
"Well done Brother Dearest." Jim started at that once-hated epithet, before clapping his little brother on the shoulder. As one, the two brothers helped each other stand as they placed themselves protectively over Amy, who lightly rolled her eyes at the overly chivalrous gesture.
"Alright Harry, you were right. We need to leave for reinforcements, preferably the Aurors. As…as much I hate to admit it, we are really no match for this. If…if we're to going to get Ron back whole, we need help. Real help."
"Smartest thing you've said all day mate." Jim rolled his eyes at Harry's statement, knowing he meant no harm due to the cheeky smile the younger wizard wore.
"Sounds good to me! If we time it just right we can clear the distance and make it out of here before the Basilisk regenerates or Ron gets his voice back. Either one would not be good for us, so on my count let's go!" The two brothers nodded seriously at Amy. "3…2…1…GO!" With strength and speed none knew they possessed they broke out into a dead sprint, nearly reaching the room's exit.
It was not meant to be.
Somehow overcoming the Silencer Ron shrieked "CARPE RETRACTUM TRIA!", effectively pulling the trio back into the Chamber. "DEPULSsSO TRIA!" forcefully knocked the three apart into opposite walls, the force of the spell was so powerful Amy dropped her wand and the Sword in equal measure as her body was slammed against the stone surface, snapping her left arm and right ankle and knocking her out cold. Jim's already bruised ankle finally broke with an audible snap as his head snapped back with an even louder thwack, rendering him completely unconscious.
The sole survivor was Harry, who'd been quick enough to cast a Cushioning Charm to allow him to slide to the floor relatively unharmed. Nagini was still thrashing around, screeching at the top of her lungs though she did her best to follow Ron's screamed instructions to "SMELL THEM OUT!" Without thinking Harry hissed "SsSSILENCcCIO MAXxXIMA!" at the possessed boy, pleased when he finally shut up. So powerful was the Parsel-enhanced curse that it caused Ron's lips to turn inward and zip shut. Harry grinned in grim satisfaction, even more pleased to see that his brother was unconscious and thus still oblivious to the fact that his Twin was also a Parselmouth.
A glint of silver alerted him to the presence of Gryffindor's sword. To his horror Nagini's great yellow eyes were slowly regenerating, mere minutes from becoming whole. And she was honed in on a felled Jim, who would be completely devoured in the mere blink of an eye.
Regardless of everything that had transpired between the two brothers, Harry had no desire to see Jim die. Even less so by the totemic symbol of his House. Slytherin would never live it down.
With renewed vigor, the younger Potter quickly drew himself into a crouch and with three long strides, dashed for the Sword. At that exact moment Nagini turned her head and opened her mouth wide, descending down to consume Harry.
'I don't bloody think so!'
With a grunt Harry thrust the sword into the Basilisk's mouth, staring in amazement as the blade sliced up through the creature's brain and out the top of its head! By reflex, Nagini jerked back, almost pulling the sword out of the boy's hand as she flailed in obvious agony before collapsing in a heap.
Harry Potter had killed Slytherin's Monster.
If only he'd done it cleanly.
The young Slytherin suddenly gasped in pain as his shoulder flared in blinding agony. Looking down, his eyes widened at the sight of the six-inch-long Basilisk fang protruding from it. Along with the glistening venom that coated the oversized tooth. Thinking quickly he ripped off a piece of his robe to use as a makeshift glove to pull the offending object free.
His shoulder felt as though it were burning, the venom quickly spreading through his arm and slowly worked its way through the rest of his body. He would have mere minutes to get this right. Raising his wand hand Harry cried "ACCIO QUILL!", before raising the Basilisk fang and stabbing downward.
The effect was instantaneous.
Ron threw his head back and screamed, though it was still Silenced. With his waning strength Harry drove the fang deeper into the cursed quill, pleased to see it shrivel and blacken as the venom ate its way through. Ron continued to scream, before dropping down unconscious.
With a grimace Harry tossed the fang aside before summoning the Sword into his non-wand hand. With weakened steps he hobbled his way to land heavily in front of Ron, a little less than a foot away from the seemingly unconscious boy. From this vantage, he could see that the Verbis Diablo symbols carved into the boy's arms stood out in blood red relief against his pale and freckled flesh, thrumming with a keen sentient malevolence. With grim realization (coupled with his dwindling consciousness), the younger Potter realized that the destruction of the quill meant nothing. Because due to the accursed dark runes, the Dark Lord could use Ron Weasley as a conduit at any time.
The realization was sobering, and fighting against the burning pain of the venom as it licked its way through his body, Harry weighed his options. The first would be to kill Ron, driving the Sword directly through the boy's body. The envenomed blade would kill him in an instant, ensuring he could never be used as the Dark Lord's unwitting tool ever again. Harry fought against the bile that rose at that option, grimacing as the earnest faces of the Weasley family flashed through his mind.
Could he really live with himself for killing their beloved son? Unbidden, Neville's stern visage flashed through his mind, his moral compass radiating disapproval at the mere consideration of taking an innocent's life, even if said innocent was possessed by a shade of the Dark Lord.
Dark-Ron's rat black eyes flashed opened and in a flash he jumped up, making to rip Harry apart with his bare hands.
The Slytherin was faster.
THUMP.
"COLOVARIA!" Harry roared, making sure to emphasize the fourth syllable as opposed to the third, just as Hermione Granger had explained to him earlier last year during their discussions about Lockhart's pretentious ponce routine.
Ron's skin started to rapidly cycle through a rainbow-myriad of colors, going so fast it made Harry feel dizzy. Soon, Weasley's skin started to blister as the symbols twisted and distorted in time with his disfiguring skin, causing the ginger boy to scream in absolute anguish as he buckled to his knees. Suddenly, billowing black smoke burst out of Ron's head, coalescing into…something inhuman. Suddenly, Harry had the sensation of a portal opening directly above the ginger's head…to Somewhere-Frightening-and-Endless... before the wraith form was sucked directly through. Harry immediately dropped the spell as Ron collapsed, properly unconscious. Shaking Harry barely stuttered out a "BIOGNOSIS", pleased to see that Weasley's life force was slowly leveling off.
With an agonized groan Harry keeled over as the Basilisk venom tore its way through his body, causing him to spasm. His holly wand tumbled from nerveless fingers as he began seizing in earnest.
He was dying.
Harry was surprised to realize that instead of the all-encompassing terror he thought he would feel in such a moment, the Slytherin was surprised to find that he just felt…sad.
Sadness at never seeing his family or friends again, even more so that almost all of them had ended up Petrified. Visions of his mother flashed in his mind's eye, coupled with his cherished memories of his godfather, uncles, Hermione, Neville, his Inner Circle, even little Amy Wilkes! The memories swirled and crescendoed, causing a teary smile to appear on the boy's face even as his seizures ratcheted up in frequency.
Just as he was on the verge of slipping from the mortal realm, Harry heard a loud FWOOSH! and an explosion of flame nearby. Blurred vision showed a radiantly plumed blob glide in and land on his chest, the weight pleasantly warm. The last coherent thought Potter had was the sensation of cooling drops falling into his shoulder wound, followed by a faint sizzle.
Then, he knew no more.
A Few Seconds Later…
With a choking gasp Harry came to, eyes widening as he came face-to-face with Fawkes. The resplendent bird stared unblinkingly at the boy, as though he were looking through his very soul.
Feeling unexpected relief, Harry looked down at his shoulder to realize that it'd been healed. "Phoenix tears," he murmured wondrously. "Thank you Fawkes, truly. You saved my life, and I am ever grateful." A beat passed before the bird nodded graciously, elegantly hopping off his chest to turn inquisitively to Ron Weasley's direction. Harry closed his eyes heavily. "I had no choice. The writings on his arms…Verbis Diablo…the Dark Lord could've used him at any time. That spell was the only means short of killing him." Fawkes just crooned, filling his heart with a measure of hope…and understanding. He hopped over to the boy and began crying tears over his blisters. Harry was pleased to the boy's skin knit back together,
Ensuring that the Chamber's other occupants were still unconscious by casting whispered Somnus Maxima spells, Harry entered the portal that opened from the mouth of the Slytherin statue.
The interior chamber which had housed the Basilisk for untold centuries was a cylindrical room about forty feet across. The floor was all stonework, save for an ornate metal disk in the center measuring about ten-feet in diameter. It looked to be made of orichalchum, an opulent design of an ouroboros featuring multiple intertwined snakes. Specifically kraits, boomslangs, ashwinders, basilisks, cobras, runespoors, and pythons. Interestingly enough, there were two small emblems of a phoenix on either side of the symbol, seemingly out of place. On the far side of the room was a life-sized statue of Slytherin carved into the wall as a bas-relief. Upon closer inspection Harry realized that his earlier assertions had been correct; he, his brother, and his mother all shared the man's Avada-green eyes.
Harry paused long enough to cast a series of parsel-enhanced privacy charms over the entryway so that Jim and Amy couldn't hear him. Then, he strode over to the bust and addressed it in Parseltongue. "SsSpeak to me SsSlytherin, Greatessst of the Hogwartsss Four."
Harry smiled as his guess paid off; a soft grinding sound rang out as the section of wall containing the statue rotated around to reveal a small side table. On it rested a fluted crystal pitcher with a copper and silver base depicting badgers and snakes intertwining. There was a small inscribed plaque (that strongly resembled Tom Riddle's handwriting) that read 'Nam aspectum serpentis'. "For the serpent's gaze…" Looking down at the bright green liquid within, Harry cast a potions detection charm, pleased to see the results of the Mandrake Restorative Draught. Wracking through his mental library regarding the Founders, Harry realized that this chalice was the fabled Ewer of Hufflepuff, one of the relics rumored to have been left by the Founders within the school. The Ewer had the capability of duplicating in perpetuity any potion poured into it, even transforming healing potions into draughts as potent as the legendary Elixir of Life. It could cure all mental and physical injuries, as well as restore youth and extend longevity. It was rumored to have been Helga's first prototype, before her creation of her famed Hufflepuff Cup currently in possession of House Smith.
Harry carefully removed the Ewer of Hufflepuff and started back before pausing to study the disk in the floor more carefully, attempting to make sense of the seemingly contradictory symbology. Suddenly, his mind whir-clicked as the truth was made apparent. He spared a glance back at the entrance to make sure no one was coming. Then, he hissed in the direction of the disk. "Open." The snakes began to move and separate, revealing a four-foot-deep depression in the floor. Inside was an emerald green egg big enough to hold a toddler ... or a baby basilisk. Harry smiled. It seemed Slytherin's Basilisk had the essence of a phoenix incorporated into its making, and while it wouldn't burn up and be instantly reborn, the death of its adult body would inevitably lead to rebirth from a new egg here within this chamber. Harry closed the snake-hatch again, dispelled the privacy charm, and exited the chamber.
Outside, he realized that Fawkes had gathered all of the still-unconscious children into a small pile, perched protectively around them.
"They all still asleep?" Fawkes crooned before nodding once.
"Good." Harry turned his attention to the phoenix. "I reckon you can understand me, so I'll keep it brief. This container holds a potion that can cure the Headmaster of his petrification. Cure everyone of their petrification. Ron desperately needs to see a Healer to address his possession, and Jim and Amy also need the Infirmary. Would you kindly transport us?"
The bird cawed loudly and then spread its magnificent plumage. Flames shot out of the tips of the bird's wings and then wrapped around the four students to envelop them. There was a brilliant flash, and then the Chamber of Secrets was empty.
AN 1: I divided the chapters in two, figured they flowed considerably smoother this way. Granted, this chapter is quite chaotic enough lol.
AN 2: While Harry being comfortable with his mortality isn't the most Slytherin of ideals, it does demonstrate that in the right context, he understands and appreciates the concept of self-sacrifice, even if it has to be him doing the sacrificing. It is a mark of great empathy (the more philosophical of us might claim 'altruistic') to sacrifice your life if you know it's the only means to gain the end result you desire.
AN 3: In AD, the Hufflepuff's Cup will not be involved in any Dark Magic shenanigans, least of all a horcrux. Since Tom isn't the Dark Lord, there is no need for horcruxes in this work. There are other much more...intriguing means of extending one's life force that do not require splitting the soul, as Rex Norvergicus so elegantly explained in the previous chapter. The Ewer will come up again in an unrelated chapter.