章 28: Chapter 28: Basilisk Steak, Snake Ritual
Previously On Playing With Magic
"~Open~" Speaking in Parceltouge again, the snakes began to slither, unlocking the mechanisms with a series of metallic clicks. The eighth, larger snake, slithered around the edge of the door, completing the sequence. Yeah, taking that enchantment. Sharing is caring, Salazar, you know how it is. Now, lay back in your grave and watch as I kill your pet.
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Chapter 28: Basilisk Steak And Snake Ritual
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3 November, 1991 - Sunday
Hogwarts - Great Hall
Hermione Granger
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"We haven't seen him all day," One of the twins mumbled while shaking his head, before putting food in his mouth and allowing his brother to finish the response for him. "If you see him, though, tell him we have a new potion we would like him to take a look at."
Hermione frowned a little at the thought of John getting mixed up in the Weasly Twins' prank. "Are you two trying to get him in trouble? Mixing him up in your… mischiefs is a surefire way to do that." Fred and George paused, exchanging a look before bursting into laughter, getting more than a few glances from the others at their table—not that they cared.
"Trouble?" Fred said, wiping a tear from his eye. Or at least Hermione thought it was Fred. She couldn't differentiate the two. It didn't help that they went out of their way to confuse people even further. "We're just doing a bit of harmless fun. Besides, John is more than capable of handling himself, and we never actually said anything about mixing him up in anything."
"Yeah," George added, still chuckling. At this point, Hermione decided to simply call them left and right based on where they were in front of her. Getting their names wrong, even in her head, with their back-and-forth talking was starting to give her a migraine. "He's brilliant at potions. Just need some help perfecting one of our own 'is all. We like having good grades too y'know."
Hermione sighed, shaking her head before taking a breath. It may have only been a few days since the troll, but it was still engraved in her mind—and would remain there, probably for the rest of her life, if the nightmare were anything to go by. The fear may have been paralysing during the actual incident, but the fear afterwards seemed to do the exact opposite. Constantly interrupting her sleep.
But John had been her safety net, at the time. Just the way he calmly dealt with the problem so easily, without panic, fear or even effort for that matter. It all just came easily to him, like he had done it before. As if dealing with trolls was supposed to be normal. Shaking her head, Hermione was unable to hide a small smile. "Just make sure you don't get him into any real trouble, alright? He's got enough on his plate as it is."
She felt like a hypocrite saying those words. As if she hadn't basically forced him to fight a troll to save her life a few days ago. God, that boy needed to stop taking up space in her head.
The right twin grinned. "We promise to keep your boyfriend out of our…mischief, little Lady." The left twin snorted before adding a wink: "Of course, your boyfriend will be well clear of any parking."
"Oh, grow up!" Hermione exclaimed, cheeks reddening in embarrassment. Which only made the twins laugh again, like a bunch of buffoons. Taking the high road, she decided to simply glare at them for a few seconds before making her way to her feet and going back to her seat to get some food, hoping to solve her lack of food, which was causing the blood to rush to her cheeks.
She definitely had nothing to worry about, it wasn't like John went out of his way to put himself in dangerous situations like Harry, Ron and Neville. He was probably studying magic somewhere and didn't want to be disturbed. According to his friends—our friends, in Ravenclaw, he does that a lot.
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Chamber Of Secrets
Johnathan Grey
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"Time to pick a fight with a snake," I muttered, continuing to make my way deeper into the Chamber towards the enormous statue of Salazar Slytherin, where I sensed some Wards. Standing before the statue, I took a deep breath and spoke in Parseltongue, using the same phrase Riddle had used in the movies, "~Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four.~"
Closing my eyes and focusing on my magic sense, I couldn't help but think how pretentious Slytherin must have been in person if that was his password. But at the same time, my computer passwords were kind of weird too, so I guess I shouldn't judge.
The sound of stone grinding against stone filled the chamber as I felt the mouth of the statue slowly open, letting the massive, sixty-foot-long Basilisk emerge from its hole. When the Basilisk was fully out, and I could feel it slithering towards me as its Petrification magic constantly tried to kill me, I immediately shouted the [Bend Will] Thu'um. "GOL HAH DOV!"
The words resonated through the air and the magic raced towards the beast. The Basilisk's aggressive posture softened, and the commanding force of the Thu'um compelled it to close its eyes. As it finally reached me, at a much more subdued pace, the beast lowered his head in submission, ready to do my bidding.
As much as I would have liked my first Thu'um to be Unrelenting Force, I need this done quickly. From what I could send, based on the amount of power I put behind the Thu'um, it will last around an hour. Significantly more than I needed to test a few things.
I used the magical link made by the [Bend Will] to tell the Basilist to open its eyes, letting the Petrification magic fire towards me and hitting my [Spell Reflect] wall. I then used [Spell Reflect, a spell I remember from the Oblivion games, while still keeping my eyes closed. My theory was that if this spell works as it should, unlike [Greater Ward, which significantly reduces a spell's effect, [Spell Reflect] should, well, reflect all magic back at the caster. Hopefully, the killing curse as well, but I could always try that latter.
Sensing the snake's magical energy harmlessly bounce off the [Spell Reflect] shield was all I needed, I immediately got to tweaking the spell, making it smaller in size and applying it to my eyes. Soon enough, I was staring at the Basilisk in all its glory, and honestly, I had to give Harry props. Fighting this thing at twelve is a madness of the highest degree. Actually, I take that back, I give props to that version of Harry. No one knows if this one would have succeeded.
The Basilisk looked like danger given form. Dark green scales, deep yellow eyes, horns and large 'I'm going to eat you now' fangs. It's still got nothing on a Dragon, but at least it tried.
Shrugging, I Conjured a long spear and commanded the serpent to open its mouth at an angle for me to pierce it in the same place Harry would have. With how durable the scales are, it would have been a waste of time to kill it from the outside. Watching as the serpent did as I asked, I absentmindedly added another test to my list. To see if the [Bend Will] was more useful than the [Imperius Curse].
The Basilisk obeyed, its massive jaws parting to reveal rows of deadly, venomous fangs. With one swift motion, I drove the spear into the roof of the Basilisk's mouth before quickly jumping back. The creature let out a pained hiss before collapsing, its body twitching before becoming still. The whole time I was annoyed that I couldn't copy its Petrification ability, not even with [A Firm Hand Shake, because it was, in a way, a biological ability, and I couldn't get the biological Abilities from non-humanoid beings. There was the upgraded version of the ability, but I didn't really see the point in going that far.
[Killed Salazar Slytherin's Basilisk in Hogwarts.]
[ 9000 SP]
Nine thousand?!
I couldn't help but frown, seeing how much I was given for the kill. It was almost as much as I got for the destruction of a Horcrux, which implied it was going to be set free and cause much more mayhem than in the original story.
Shaking my head, I cast the [Carcass Dismatleing] spell I found in the ROR on the serpent, watching as the Basilisk's body began to separate into its various components. It was a hard spell for regular Wizards to learn because it required extreme control to get it right, which was why Wizards just preferred to tell their house elves to do it. But if you had the required control, then the spell worked efficiently, separating the bones, scales, venom sacs, and other valuable parts and floating them in front of the caster. I carefully collected the venom in special vials for later use and placed everything into Hoard. There are Potions to make and Rituals to be done.
With the Basilisk dealt with, I turned his attention to exploring the rest of the Chamber of Secrets. Using my magic sense, I sensed around and found a series of hidden doors along the walls, protected by the same Wards on the Chamber door. Speaking Parceltougue, I commanded, "~Open.~"
The first room was clearly a Potions lab. Shelves lined the walls, filled with ancient, dusty bottles and jars. A large cauldron sat in the centre, and various tools and ingredients were scattered about. The next room was dedicated to Herbology. It contained rows of planters and beds, filled with plants that were still good thanks to the [Stasis] charms put on them.
Moving on, I found a room used for Rituals. The space was marked with intricate runes and symbols, with an altar in the centre. Finally, I discovered Slytherin's personal study. The room was rather bare, a large desk in the centre. Shelves lined the walls, but they were disturbingly empty. Which was disappointing as I realised Riddle had likely ransacked this room and taken its contents.
I went back to the ritual room and immediately got to work on my first Physical Enhancement Ritual. The one I chose only required me to have killed a strong animal myself, do the ritual and eat the animal afterwards for it to take effect. The result, if I did it myself, was a permanent increase in durability, strength, speed and reaction time based on the slain animal. It's one of the main reasons some of the more dangerous magical animals aren't just rooming around and have to be protected in reserves. The user only needed to kill the animal and do the ritual. No other sacrifice, no psychological issues. Just a killing curse, and you were all set.
After inscribing the required runes on the circle, I placed the Basilisk meat on the pedestal and chanted. I watched as the runes glowed with a subtle hum of magical energy, the ambient magic seemed to check to see if I was telling the truth, moving back and forth from me to the meat and then back again. After a few seconds, the magic settled. It was done, and the meat was ready to be cooked. So, I got to work on the rest.
It was a pedestal large enough for a person, not a whole basilisk.
Wanting to experiment a little on the next batch, I used [Dovahzul, the language of dragons, instead of Latin. It was amazing, purer, and much more effective. At this rate, if my estimates were right, I would be fighting at my [Dragon Body] spell's level of strength by the time the meat was finished.
"Poppy!" I called.
With a small pop, Poppy appeared with her regular attentive and eager-to-help expression. "Yes, Master Dragon, sir? How can Poppy assist?"
"I've just finished a ritual with some Basilisk meat, and I would like you to cook it for me. I'll need it prepared for breakfast, lunch and dinner."
Poppy's eyes widened slightly at the mention of Basilisk meat, but didn't even ask, she just nodded quickly. "Of course, Master Dragon, sir. Poppy will cook it perfectly. Would you like any specific dishes?"
I thought for a moment before replying, "For breakfast, let's have it grilled with some eggs and toast. For lunch, perhaps a stew with vegetables. And for dinner, let's try a roasted steak with herbs and potatoes."
Poppy nodded enthusiastically. "Poppy will make it delicious, Master Dragon, sir. You will have the best meals."
I handed her the meat, and she disappeared with a pop. With one last look around, I made my way back to the entrance of the chamber, Knowing full well I wasn't likely to return unless I used the Chamber for spell practice for the study group. Aside from that, the room had lost its value.
Rather, I had taken it.
...Sharing is caring.
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Making my way to the Library, I could sense Harry around the corner, alone, which wasn't normal in the slightest. He was usually with Ron or…well, actually, he was always with Ron. I don't recall seeing him without Ron at his side. I could only guess that he was making his way to the library and Ron didn't want to come too, most likely trying to get Harry to do all the hard work and copy from him later.
"John!" He exclaimed as soon as he rounded the corner, jogging to catch up. Coming to a stop, I turned around and greeted him with a raised eyebrow. We didn't really talk, so it was already strange for him to seek me out, out of nowhere.
"Erm, hi," Harry said, fidgeting with his robe, shifting in place. "I just wanted to thank you, y'know, for saving Hermione from the troll."
"You're welcome," I responded with a nod, waving off his gratitude. "It's what anyone should have done." A part of me wanted to ask why he bothers wearing school robes on a weekend, but then I remembered his other clothes were basically all Dudley's, therefore, too big. Then again, he could buy new ones now. He's supposed to be rich.
There was a lot to unpack there. First, why didn't Hagrid tell him to buy better clothes when he saw him? Second, why didn't the person taking his measurements ask if he wanted some other clothes? And if they did, why would Harry decline to get them? Unless he was scared the Dursleys would have destroyed them, which still wouldn't make sense, as they would be too scared of Dumbledore hearing about it and making a visit.
"Yeah, but it was you that saved her, so, thank you," Harry added.
He was rather adamant I accept his thanks. So he was feeling guilty. Did he choose to help Hermione that day, or did one of the Prefects stop him? I could easily get the information from his mind, but I still didn't feel comfortable being in there. If I've learned anything from practising my [Legilimensy, It's that teenagers are always horny or thinking if others like them. I have a photographic memory, so hell no.
"I hear your friend was responsible for her being in the bathroom crying in the first place," I told him. "Is that what you guys came to a magical school to do? Bully others?"
With the amount of bullying he was subjected to while living in the Dursleys, I would think it was the last thing in the world he would ever want to be. And if the intensity behind his eyes was anything to go by, I was definitely right on that front.
"I talked to him. 'Told him to apologise. I already apologised myself." Harry said, suppressing his anger at the thought of bullying. "He didn't mean anything by it, he was just frustrated after class."
"That's good," I said, already turning my head to where I had sensed Hermione approaching around the corner. "As long as it doesn't happen again."
"John," Hermione almost shouted to get my attention, before doing a double take as she saw who I was talking to.
People really need to start using their inside voice. I get that these are large corridors, but damn, if I had to yell all the time, I would be constantly irritated for no damn reason. Maybe it was the introvert in me, liking the calm, peace and quiet. As long as I didn't turn out like Filch, I should be fine.
"Hermione," I nodded, before jabbing my chin towards Harry. "I hear you will or have already received some apologies."
"Yeah," She said with a nod of her own. "It's alright now."
"That's good to hear," I gave her a small smile before turning to Harry. "Well, if you want to join us in the Library, feel free to do so. We normally do homework first, then move on to interesting spells we can learn outside of what the current lessons are teaching us."
The boy raised both eyebrows at me before taking a glance at Hermione to see what she thought. When she gave a nod, he smiled, "Sure, I'd love that, I was actually on my way there, 'wanted to get Transfiguration done. It's due tomorrow."
"Come on then," I said, gesturing towards the Library for Harry to follow, before looking at Hermione. "Meet you in there?"
"Of course," She replied with a nod. "You promised to help me improve my Transfiguration."
Even with a photographic memory, I couldn't be bothered checking if I actually put it that way, or if I even made any promise. She's come a long way in regard to being around people though, which was good. Giving her a smile, I said, "Alright, I see you in there."
With that, she ran off to wherever she was headed. Given how fast she was going, I would guess she wanted to get another book from her room because she had finished reading the ones she had brought.
Shaking my head, I started walking to the Library with Harry, making small talk on the way.
"So, no Ronald today?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. "You two are basically joined at the hip, I think this is the first time I've seen you without him."
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"Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk, known also as the King of Serpents."
— Most Macabre Monstrosities
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Autor Here
The King of Serpents is dead.
Long live the King.
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Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC and original ideas. All credit goes to their respective owners.
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Thank you for reading.
As always, stay awesome.
Until next time, Light's out.
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