The massive gargoyle sprang to the side as they approached the Headmaster's office, allowing them passage. Harry, flanked by Daphne and Susan, held his head high, aware of his innocence. Neville, Hannah, and Tracey trailed after them. Their expressions were etched with concern but all remained steadfast in their support for him.
As they reached the heavy doors, they swung open, revealing a somber gathering. Dumbledore sat behind his desk, his face grave. He was joined by Amelia Bones and Kingsley Shacklebolt who sat to the right, with a few aurors standing behind them by the walls.
"I believe I asked for you, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore remarked.
"We volunteered, Headmaster," Susan replied curtly, stepping closer to Harry—an action that did not go unnoticed by Amelia Bones who raised an eyebrow as she eyed her niece. Susan stared back resolutely and Amelia could not help but quirk her lips a bit.
"I'm sure we can accommodate a few more students, Dumbledore. It isn't as if there's any shortage of seat here," Amelia remarked. Dumbledore nodded and more chairs appeared in front of the desk. Harry and his friends sat down upon being given permission.
"I'm sure you are curious as to why I have asked for you here, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore began.
"I hope this is not about people thinking I'm behind those attacks, Headmaster," Harry said curtly. "I have tolerated this for long enough and as much as I feel remorseful for what happened to Weasley and Penelope, I would not stand for unfounded slander on my person."
Each of his friends stared back stoically, displaying unanimous support for their friend. Amelia and Kingsley could not help but let out small smirks.
"You are not here as a suspect, Mr. Potter," Amelia replied before she pulled a small vial out of her pockets. "However… there are a few parties over in the ministry who are not as convinced and are trying to… shall we say… bend the rules a bit to show we're doing something."
"Auntie!" Susan exclaimed, her expression aghast. "Don't tell me you're going to do something like that to appease that buffoon and his toad!"
Amelia stifled a chuckle at her niece's remark.
"Nothing of the sort, Susan," Amelia replied, shaking her head. She turned back to Harry and slid the vial over to him. "My apologies, Mr. Potter. But this is the quickest way to bury their filthy little plan before they could act on it."
Harry eyed the vial curiously, earning a small frown from the woman.
"I don't believe for even a second that you are behind these attacks, nor do I think you should be subjected to this, but I'm afraid the cowards in charge do not care what I think," she sighed. "This is ICW-certified Veritaserum, Mr. Potter. Auror Shacklebolt here will administer this to you right now to finalize the report on your innocence. I'm afraid this is the best I can offer you at this hour unless we let the Minister and his people subject you to something much more serious."
Harry knew what Veritaserum was. The strongest truth potion that forced the drinker to speak nothing but the truth. However, there used to be ways to get around it. It was used in trials centuries ago before those ways were discovered, and for decades, its use in trials had been discontinued, at least until a decade ago when the ICW had given the certification to a variant of the serum that had a hundred percent success rate.
It nullified every form of mental magic, disregarding the drinker's thoughts, emotions, and beliefs to force them to speak pure, unadulterated truth.
"Madam Bones, this is not fair," Daphne said firmly. "This is against Harry's fundamental rights as a citizen of this country."
"I agree, Miss Greengrass," Amelia replied. "And in an ideal scenario, we wouldn't even be pondering on this course of action. Unfortunately, our esteemed minister and his advisors have other ideas and I've been forced to resort to this."
There was nothing but silence in the office for a few seconds as Harry continued to eye the vial with pursed lips. Meanwhile, the others stared at him, wondering what he would do.
"You know we're with you all the way until the end, Harry," Daphne whispered, taking his hand and giving it a soft squeeze. "We'd stand with whatever you decide."
Harry glanced at her, earning a supportive smile before he turned to Susan who nodded firmly. Sighing, he turned back to Amelia Bones.
"I guess this is the easiest way to get rid of this headache once and for all, even though I'd rather I didn't have to get disrespected like this," he said curtly.
"You have all the right to be pissed at the Minister and his people. Believe me, you aren't the first, nor would you be the last."
Harry nodded and his eyes fell on Kingsley Shacklebolt.
"All right then, Auror Shacklebolt. Let's get this over with."
Kingsley nodded and picked up the vial, uncorking it. Everyone stared at the crystal clear liquid that swirled and swayed as the auror levitated the vial to Harry's mouth. His eyes closed and he parted his lips, allowing the auror to empty the three drops in the vial into his mouth.
The effect was instantaneous as Harry went slack. His eyes closed and his body went ramrod straight as if he had been hit with the petrification hex.
One of the aurors was done with the preliminary notes in no time and Amelia nodded for Kingsley to proceed.
"State your name for the record."
"Harry James Potter," came the monotonous reply. His eyes remained closed all the while and there was no change in his posture.
"And your date of birth?"
"31st of October, 1980."
Amelia nodded as the dictation quill kept the documentation up to date.
"You may go ahead, Kingsley."
Kingsley nodded and stared at Harry. "Did you have any role in the attack on Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood?"
"No."
"Did you have any role in the attack on Cho Chang?"
"No."
"Miss Chang was using your broomstick which malfunctioned. Did you have any involvement? You may explain if you wish."
"No. I flew on my broom and handed it over to Cho. There was nothing else."
Kingsley nodded.
"And what about Penelope Clearwater and Percy Weasley? Did you have any role in their murders?"
"No."
"That should be enough," Kingsley whispered to Amelia.
"Mr. Potter," Amelia began, her voice confident. "Did you have any foreknowledge of any of those attacks?"
"No."
"The antidote, Kingsley," Amelia nodded, handing over another vial to the dark-skinned auror who quickly administered it to Harry.
His shoulders relaxed as he leaned back in the chair. His emerald orbs blearily opened and he let out a yawn. As he caught his bearings, he saw the concerned faces of all his friends and he nodded reassuringly.
"So it's over then?" He asked.
"Your testimony has been recorded and it's iron clad, Mr. Potter," Amelia nodded. "You have the right to a press release to inform the public of your innocence."
"I think an announcement of this tomorrow before everyone leaves Hogwarts would be enough, Madam Bones. I would appreciate it if it came from the DMLE itself."
"It will be done," Amelia nodded in understanding.
She eyed her niece once again, silently asking about everything she had noticed so far between the three of them. Susan remained silent. Lips pursed, she turned back to Dumbledore and said, "I'd expect even more heat from the Board of Governors and Cornelius if I were you, Dumbledore. The closure of Hogwarts is only the beginning."
"It's not the pressure that bothers me now, Amelia," Dumbledore sighed. "We need to uncover the identity of the culprit."
Amelia side-eyed Dumbledore, having a feeling that the old wizard knew more than he was revealing, but she nodded curtly.
Sighing, Dumbledore turned to regard the students.
"I believe you all should retire for the night. It's an early morning tomorrow and a relaxing sleep is something you all deserve after the events that have transpired in the past hour."
Harry nodded and stood up, his friends following suit.
"Goodnight, everyone… and for what it's worth, I hope the real culprit is caught soon. We all do."
Dumbledore nodded and watched as Harry led his friends out of his office.
'I'm afraid it's not as easy a task as we'd like it to be… not when he is concerned,' Dumbledore thought to himself, his lips pursed.
Dumbledore had not missed the signs. Tom might have changed but there was no mistaking the fact that this entire saga reeked of him, especially the events that had happened tonight. The signs were oddly reminiscent of the attack that had taken place roughly half a decade ago, taking the life of poor Myrtle Warren in the girls' bathroom on the second floor. He knew Tom was somehow involved in this entire affair, but he had no clue how exactly he had done this.
-Break-
"I can't believe you had to do this," Susan hissed, furious. "ICW-grade Veritaserum is reserved for official trials. You were basically treated as the prime suspect there."
"At least it cleared his name beyond all doubts," Daphne replied firmly. "I agree that it was not right, but as your aunt said, there was no better way to get it done so quickly."
"Still…" Susan muttered. "What did you feel when Auror Shacklebolt gave you the serum, Harry?"
"Nothing," Harry replied. "Absolutely nothing. I felt as if I was fast asleep and when it was done, I woke up."
"Sounds a lot like the Imperius, from what I've read," Daphne muttered.
"And what are you reading up on the Unforgivables for?" Susan asked, aghast.
"Knowing about something is the first step to defend yourself against it," Daphne said calmly. "Isn't that why we're studying DADA? We'll cover it in a couple of years, if you didn't know."
"You're already studying fourth year material?" Hannah asked, shocked. "Merlin…"
"Only in a few subjects that look useful," Daphne shrugged.
"Back to the matter at hand, if you please," Susan said curtly, sighing. "Harry's name is clear, but we still don't know who's behind those attacks for sure. They… Merlin… they killed Weasley and Clearwater."
"Not they," Daphne muttered darkly. "You said if yourself, remember? It's Edgecombe. And after seeing how she didn't attend that announcement, I'm a hundred percent sure she killed those two and ran away from the castle."
Harry eyed Daphne out of the corner of his eyes, something she did not miss.
"What?" She asked hesitatingly.
"You're sure about that?"
"What do you mean?" She asked, her brows furrowing when he stopped and fished out a thick folded sheet of parchment.
"Easy way to find out," he smirked and activated the map. Everyone huddled closer as the ink spread about on the map. Harry placed the tip of his wand on the map and whispered, "Invenio Marietta Edgecombe Revelo."
The ink on the map arranged itself in an instant and displayed the tag of Marietta Edgecombe.
"This is…" Susan trailed off, her eyes wide.
Suddenly, Harry felt the telltale sign of an incoming spell and he whirled around, creating a powerful shield. The malicious gray bolt collided with his shield with a powerful bang, sending him skidding back a few inches. He hit Daphne on his way and quickly reached out to grab onto her, steadying her on her feet as the map fell to the floor.
"Nev, get the map, quick!" Harry shouted as another malicious gray bolt struck his shield and his eyes widened as the glowing blue barrier shattered into thousands of fragments.
As Neville took care of the map with Hannah and Tracey shielding him from any possible spellfire, Harry was joined by Daphne and Susan who quickly pulled their wands out, glaring at the figure that emerged from the end of the corridor.
"Oh? Looks like I gave you too little credit," Marietta Edgecombe sneered, her wand glowing a sinister shade of purple as she held it aloft and pointed toward them.
"You're not the first," Harry retorted calmly.
"So it was you all along, you bitch," Daphne hissed.
"Mind your tongue, blood traitor!" Marietta hissed, her eyes gleaming hatefully as she glared at them. "I'll take care of you all in a moment. For now, someone else comes first."
"You should learn to keep your mouth shut."
Harry was quick on the move and a powerful blasting curse shot forth, careening toward Marietta at a furious pace. She conjured a powerful shield and it was her turn to be surprised now as the curse struck her shield, the blast strong enough to shatter it.
Daphne and Susan were quick to press their advantage. They waved their wands in unison and a barrage of icy shards hurtled toward Marietta who grinned evilly and swiped her wand, deflecting the shards by turning them into harmless vapor that evaporated halfway through.
"Fools!" She hissed as Daphne and Susan stared at her with wide eyes.
"Incendio Maxima!" Hannah and Tracey cried out, their wands pointed toward Marietta who quickly conjured a simmering shield, keeping the raging inferno at bay. Neville was quick to join in, his wand slashing through the air. "Expulso Diribitor!"
A powerful concussive force struck the shield and Neville was shocked to see that it had no effect. Without any strain on her part, Marietta buried the flames and let out a shrill cry, her arms spread apart.
Harry quickly conjured a shield but to no avail. The shield shattered, sending them crashing against the wall as a malevolent force struck them head-on. Neville's head collided painfully against Hannah's while Tracey hit the wall with the most force. The three were knocked out cold and they fell over in a heap.
"And then there were three," Marietta hissed, her face twisted with a maniacal grin.
"How the fuck is she so strong!?" Susan hissed in pain as they gingerly got to their feet.
"No idea. But one thing's for sure now. She's the one behind those attacks. There's no doubt now."
Harry nodded, eyeing her as she kept stepping toward them. That attack, whatever it was, had sent them flying back to the end of the corridor they were in and there was a considerable distance between them – a distance she was closing in on.
Harry gritted his teeth, his mind racing. He'd thought he had improved but if a girl in her third year was so strong that she was toying with the six of them, then had he truly improved?
He faced her, leaving Daphne and Susan to tend to the others. They were all bleeding from their heads and he was sure there were multiple fractures.
Waving his wand in an arc, he tore chunks of rocks from the floor and transfigured them into projectiles, shooting them toward her in a powerful barrage. He felt the strain on his magic as she tried to exert her power and will on his magic and mind, striving to take control of his transfiguration. He was not weak enough to let her though and she had to conjure a hasty shield in the end to deflect the onslaught. Harry watched how she staggered, her breath ragged, and he smirked.
She must've hated it as she bared her teeth at him, her eyes blazing with fury. Harry's eyes widened slightly when she sent another malevolent wave of magical discharge toward him. He gritted his teeth, putting his best into the shield he conjured.
The very air crackled with power and the walls trembled under the onslaught as his shield pulsed violently, cracks appearing on its surface as it tried to keep the torrent of raw magical energy at bay.
The shield exploded just as the final vestiges of her magical discharge dissipated and Harry was left panting as he stood protectively in front of his friends, glaring hatefully at the bitch.
"You are one pesky little brat, aren't you?" She snarled. "Those incompetent aurors should've carted you off to that hellhole long ago."
'Well, that's the confession there as well, I guess,' he thought to himself.
"I can't speak for the others but didn't you feel anything when you attacked Cho?" He asked.
"Foolish brat," she grinned, her voice dripping with malice. "You can't even begin to imagine what my motivations are."
"Yeah, you are a bitch, and a mad one at that," Daphne called out and Harry saw her and Susan walk over to stand on either side of him.
"We never really liked you Edgecombe, and I don't think anyone truly does," Susan hissed through gritted teeth. "But no one ever imagined you'd do something like this. Murder? Really? You were pathetic, but you're also a criminal now."
Marietta's eyes blazed with an unholy fury, her wand carving vicious arcs through the air as she unleashed a torrent of searing curses. "Crucio! Crucio! Crucio!"
Their eyes widened in shock as a trio of Unforgivables hurled toward them. The air rippled as Harry wrapped his arms around both Daphne and Susan before he threw them to the ground, conjuring a massive boulder to shield them. Two of the curses struck the boulder, exploding it into smithereens. The shards of sharp rocks rained down on Harry's back and both Daphne and Susan stared at him in shock as he endured it all. However, that was not enough, not even remotely.
Their eyes widened when Harry let out a cry of agony as the final Cruciatus Curse hit him square in the back, sending scalding pain lancing through every fiber of his being as every nerve in his body was set alight with unbridled agony.
"Harry!" They cried out in unison as Harry kept himself in the line of the curse, taking the full brunt of it as he shielded them. Their eyes teared up as they witnessed the sheer pain he was putting himself through just so he could shield them against it.
Harry shivered as the aftershocks of the Cruciatus kicked in, sending him tumbling to the floor and both Daphne and Susan hovered over his form, their faces panicked.
"Too noble for his own good, as expected of one of the Potters," Marietta hissed.
Daphne and Susan saw red. They moved in unison, their wands moving intricately as a barrage of spells rocketed toward Edgecombe. Blasting and exploding hexes of every variety imaginable, from Confringo to Bombarda Maxima and Reducto, rained down on Marietta whose lips twisted into a cruel sneer as she conjured a powerful golden shield that kept all the spells at bay.
The hexes exploded violently against the surface of the shield before finally shattering it. Daphne and Susan breathed heavily as they glared at Marietta who laughed maniacally.
"Fools!" She hissed. "You can never hope to match my powers!"
With a savage slash of her wand, she unleashed a torrent of dark energy that coalesced into the snarling form of a massive, spectral serpent. The dark creature lunged towards them, its maw gaping wide, and now it was their turn to shield themselves. Daphne and Susan poured their strength into conjuring a shimmering barrier.
"Protego Maxima!" they cried, their voices strained with effort.
The dark beast crashed against their shield, its fangs rending the barrier, and the shield flickered, wavering under the onslaught.
Behind them, Harry shivered as the aftershocks of the Cruciatus kept kicking in. He had been under that curse when Quirrell had cast it on him, but he did not remember feeling so affected by it back then. The only explanation he had was that perhaps it was because Quirrell was not at his full power when he had cast it.
He could faintly hear the sounds of explosions and as he turned around, he saw Daphne and Susan standing protectively over him as they battled against Edgecombe and whatever malevolent beast she had summoned.
Not for the first time, a feeling struck Harry. It was impossible for Edgecombe to be this capable or to have knowledge of dark magic to this extent and the feeling that she was being possessed somehow by Voldemort just like Quirrell had been deepened in his mind. However, in this encounter, he had felt no pain in his scar as he had when Quirrell had been near him back then.
Nevertheless, now was not the time to think about it. His friends' lives were in mortal peril and he had to act. For some reason, no one was coming over to their aid despite so much noise and dark magic permeating the air.
Pushing through the sheer pain coursing through his veins, Harry forced himself to his feet and aimed his wand at the serpent.
"Bombarda maxima!"
A powerful blast echoed as the explosive curse detonated against the dark serpent, shattering its form momentarily.
Marietta's eyes flickered with malevolent glee, and she poured more power into the dark energy, reforming the beast with a mere flick of her wand.
The creature surged forward with a malicious hiss, its spectral form growing in size and intensity, and it crashed against Daphne and Susan's shield, shattering it with a thunderous roar.
Harry caught them before they could be flung backward and he rolled out of the way as a powerful magical explosion surged toward where they had been mere moments ago. He winced as another aftershock of the Cruciatus kicked in.
"Harry! Please don't do this!" Daphne pleaded.
"Don't hurt yourself for our sake!" Susan echoed her sentiment.
"Tough luck," Harry chuckled, wincing. "I can't help myself."
Marietta's laughter echoed through the corridor, a haunting sound that would've chilled their very souls if they weren't pissed off so much. They turned to see her advance toward them, her wand raised and her lips twisted into a cruel smile. "Foolish idiots," she whispered, her voice dripping with malice. "Sentiment. Care. Love? What a collection of worthless emotions."
Harry, Daphne, and Susan glared at the bitch with utter loathing, their entire selves coursing with revulsion for her.
Marietta sneered and let out a shrill cry, sending the serpent careening toward them.
"Daphne, Susan," Harry whispered. "Together."
Filled with determination and unwavering resolve, the three raised their wands as one, their arms trembling with the effort. As their eyes met, something shifted. Something that is born only after enduring pain and suffering together. In that moment, they were united, their wills forged into an unbreakable bond.
"Confringo Maxima!" they cried in unison, their voices resonating with power.
A massive explosive force erupted from their wands, slamming into the spectral beast with a thunderous roar. The serpent hissed maliciously as it was enveloped in the explosion and Harry held Daphne and Susan to him as they stood steadfast in the wake of the furious magical wave that struck them. The dark energy dissipated, the creature's form shattering into wisps of ethereal smoke.
Marietta staggered backward, her face twisted in a rictus of rage.
"Impossible!" she snarled, her chest heaving as she glared at them. Her voice resonating with fury, she shouted to the heavens, "FIENDFYRE!"
A massive fiery serpent emerged from her wand, much larger than the dark serpent that they had destroyed mere moments ago and they stared at it in sheer disbelief.
"Merlin…" Susan whispered.
Suddenly, they heard an explosion in the distance behind Marietta who whirled around with her eyes glowing a malicious shade of crimson. A large group of aurors rushed in followed by Amelia Bones, Kingsley Shacklebolt, the four heads of house, and a furious Albus Dumbledore who all stopped in their tracks as they gazed at the sheer carnage in sight.
Marietta let out a cruel laugh before she pointed her wand at her throat and started hissing.
"Parseltongue!" McGonagall cried out in shock as the fiery serpent stood sentry, shielding Marietta from both sides.
Once Marietta was done, she grinned ferally and transformed into inky black smoke, shooting through the corridor. Harry cast a powerful cutting curse straight at the smoke as the Fiendfyre shot toward the reinforcements, engaging them in a fiery battle.
The cutting curse struck its target with pinpoint precision but it did nothing more than make the smoky trail stagger in the air. He watched along with Daphne and Susan, their teeth gritted, as it vanished into the inky blackness of the night.
On the other end, Dumbledore's eyes were wide in shock as he recalled the malicious crimson orbs that had glared at him right as the girl vanished in a trail of smoke, sending the serpent made of hellfire straight at them.
A resigned sigh escaped his lips as he lamented the loss of another child's life before he steeled his resolve, stepping forward in front of the aurors and his professors.
The fiery beast reared back, its maw gaping wide, revealing rows of searing fangs. With a thunderous roar, it lunged towards Dumbledore, its body coiling and writhing like a living inferno.
Dumbledore slashed his wand through the air, unleashing a torrent of water that crashed against the Fiendfyre serpent. Steam hissed and billowed as the two forces collided, the heat searing and oppressive. The aurors and the rest of the professors joined in, trying to vanquish the flames straight from hell.
For a moment, the forces were evenly matched, the water cascading against the cursed flames, but the serpent surged forward, its fiery form growing in size and intensity. The water evaporated before its onslaught, and Dumbledore's eyes glowed. His wand carved intricate patterns through the air as he summoned a massive torrent of water that crashed against the serpent's flank on either side while the others kept at it.
The serpent recoiled, its body hissing and steaming, but its fury was undeterred. It lashed out with its massive tail, a whip of searing flames that cleaved through the air.
With a blur of movement, Dumbledore conjured a shimmering barrier, the fiery whip slamming against it with a thunderous roar. The shield held, but the force of the impact sent Dumbledore skidding backward, his robes smoldering from the intense heat.
The serpent coiled, its body writhing and undulating, and it unleashed a torrent of cursed flames. The Fiendfyre raged, consuming everything in its path, and for a moment, it seemed as though it would consume everyone.
Dumbledore waved his wand and a swirling vortex of wind emerged in front of him. He kept his wand trained ahead as the vortex sucked in the flames that made up the serpent. However, the more it lost, the more it gained and it seemed there was no stopping the endless supply of cursed flames.
From their spot, Harry, Daphne, and Susan aimed their wands at the creature.
"Aguamenti Maxima!" They cried out alongside the others. A massive torrent of water erupted from their wands crashing against the fiery serpent with a deafening roar.
The forces collided, steam billowing and hissing, as the air crackled with raw magic. The Fiendfyre surged forward, its cursed flames roaring and searing, but Dumbledore poured more power into his spell, the vortex surging and swirling as the torrents of water fed into it, forming a raging waterspout.
The serpent's form began to waver, its fiery body struggling against the onslaught of water. Dumbledore's eyes narrowed, and he unleashed the full force of his power, the swirling torrent of water growing in size and intensity.
With a final, thunderous roar, the Fiendfyre was extinguished, its cursed flames smothered by the overwhelming surge. Nothing but the hissing of steam and the crackle of dying embers remained as their vision remained obscured in the aftermath of the battle.
-Break-
It was a little over fifteen minutes and their friends had been taken to the Hospital Wing. Harry stood with Daphne and Susan clutching onto him as they faced the aurors and the professors, answering all their questions. Everyone was shocked to hear what they had to say but the proof was glaring at them.
The healers with the aurors worked meticulously to treat the injuries Harry and the two girls had and everyone was shocked to see the aftershocks of the Cruciatus Curse searing through Harry. He was immediately given the numbing potions to soothe his nerves but the effects were mediocre at best.
"But how did a third-year girl learn those kinds of spells!?" Sprout's disbelieving voice echoed throughout the corridor, and no one had any answers.
Dumbledore knew though. He had seen it and had immediately activated the most resilient wards Hogwarts had to offer. He stood gravely, his mind a haven of numerous thoughts.
Voldemort's ability to cast spells of this level indicated that he was much more powerful this time even though Harry and his friends had put up a valiant fight. He feared it would not be long before he made his return.
Harry stood shivering as another aftershock ran through him. He suddenly jerked, his eyes widening as he gazed around.
"What is it, Harry?" Daphne asked, quickly picking up on it.
Harry's eyes darted around, almost as if he was trying to search for something, his face one of intense focus.
"Harry?" Susan asked in concern.
"I heard something…" he whispered. "It's Parseltongue. I'm sure of it."
Daphne and Susan gazed at him with wide eyes and the blonde suddenly hissed, "Harry! Edgecombe! What did she hiss before she left?"
Harry's eyes narrowed as he tried to remember.
"She told the Fiendfyre serpent to kill us all. 'Kill them all!' was what she shouted."
"What if that command wasn't for the Fiendfyre?" Daphne asked in a whisper, her eyes wide.
Susan's eyes bugged out alongside Harry's as they both stared at Daphne.
"What if she gave that command to something else entirely? Shouted with a Sonorous so that her voice could reach something far away from here?"
They were interrupted before they could say anything.
"H-H-Headmaster!"
Everyone whirled around in shock to where the voice had come from and they saw none other than a frantic Gilderoy Lockhart rushing toward them, his face ashen as if he had seen the devil himself.
"Gilderoy? Calm yourself!" McGonagall cried out as the man fell at Dumbledore's feet, clutching the front of his robes in his fists. His wide eyes were full of fear.
"I-I-I s-saw it! Oh M-Merlin's b-beard, I s-saw the m-m-monster!" The man's eyes were wide with terror and he was trembling violently.
"Calm down, Gilderoy. Take a deep breath and tell us what you saw," Dumbledore urged.
The man gulped audibly, his throat bobbing. "I-It was a s-s-serpent, but n-not just any s-serpent! I-It was g-gigantic, as t-thick as a t-tree trunk and l-longer than the H-Hogwarts Express t-train!"
Everyone's eyes widened in disbelief but Lockhart continued, his words tumbling out in a frantic rush.
"I-I-I j-just s-saw a g-glimpse of it! Oh M-Merlin… I-Its scales w-were a d-dull, venomous g-green, a-and it w-went t-through t-the t-tunnels into t-the G-Great H-Hall!"
"Dumbledore…" Amelia Bones trailed off, her voice a horrified whisper.
"A b-basilisk!" Lockhart cried, his voice cracking with terror. "I-It was a b-basilisk, the K-King of S-Serpents! I-I don't know h-how I'm still alive, b-but I know what I s-saw, and I'll n-never forget it as l-long as I live!"
Lockhart buried his face in Dumbledore's robes, clutching onto them on his knees as he wept, his body shaking with fear and relief as everyone stared at each other in terrified silence.
TBC.
Check out the link on my profile for early access and more of my work. Chapters 24, 25, and 26 are already up.
Thanks for reading.