บท 47: Entering the Dungeon
The next morning, the staff gathered together once again. Everyone was a little on edge, knowing what they were about to do. Plans had been canceled, and the students were becoming suspicious. They knew something was wrong.
"I have sent Fawkes to retrieve Ms. Peta-Lorrum," Albus said. "I believe that will put her in a better mood, and we don't want her on edge after yesterday."
"Why would she be on edge?" Bathsheda asked.
"The students found out that we were investigating something," Severus replied. "Peta-Lorrum gets touchy when she thinks we're going after her friends to get to her."
"She will be guiding us to the Chamber of Secrets," Albus said, hoping to keep everyone on track. "Once there, we will combine all of our strategies to defeat the Basilisk. Severus, Pomona, are you two stocked on your supplies?"
"Yes, Albus," Pomona said.
Severus simply nodded.
"Very good," Albus said. "Severus, Minerva, Filius, and Pomona will accompany me into the Chamber of Secrets. Septima, Bathsheda, and Aurora, you three will stand guard by the entrance with Ms. Peta-Lorrum, and join us if the need arises. If something goes wrong and you are needed, you are to allow her to join you inside. She has proven herself capable of standing against the Basilisk, and we need all the help we can get. Poppy is already in the Hospital Wing on standby should we need her. Argus, Hagrid, Cuthbert, Charity, and Sybil are all going to watch over the students until we're finished."
"What of Lockhart?" Minerva asked.
"If he's lucky, Mr. Lockhart will live long enough to collect his final paycheck," Albus said. "Currently, he is distracted with self-replicating fan mail, courtesy of the Weasley Twins, I believe. He has already expressed a desire to leave at the end of the term. Something about a better offer, if I'm not mistaken."
"Probably leaving before people find out he's a fraud," Severus muttered.
"Severus, we don't know that," Pomona said. "He could just be out of practice."
"Do you honestly believe that, Pomona?" Septima asked.
"I'm keeping a good thought," replied the Herbology Professor.
"I believe we all are, Pomona," Albus said wisely. "And I don't necessarily mean about our current Defence Professor. If anything goes wrong today, someone will need to send word to Kingsley Shacklebolt immediately. Tell him to round up the usual suspects and ensure that the castle remains safe."
Everyone nodded. They all understood what that meant to some degree.
"Right," Albus said. "I suppose it's time."
As they prepared to depart, they heard the sound of the gargoyle moving aside to allow someone access to the Headmaster's Office. Each of the professors exchanged looks of confusion, as the only other person they were expecting would be arriving via phoenix.
"Peta-Lorrum?" Bathsheda asked.
"She doesn't use the stairs," Minerva said.
The door opened to reveal the last two people any of them wanted to see. In his typical black overcoat and bowler hat was none other than Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic himself. Standing beside him, a sour, pretentious look on his face, was Lucius Malfoy.
"Oh my," Cornelius said. "I hope we're not interrupting anything."
"Cornelius," Albus said warmly. "To what do we owe the pleasure? Would you care for a lemon drop?"
"This business with the Basilisk, Albus," the Minister replied, ignoring the offer of candy. "The board has spoken. It nearly killed a girl a few months ago, and it's got most of your students scared half to death. Enough is enough. Is the beast dead or not?"
Albus knew he had two choices in front of him. He could state his case, make a compelling argument as to why the Minister should leave at once, even explain the complicated operation they were about to execute, but he knew it had already been decided. There was no point in arguing with the Minister. Lucius wouldn't have been there if he thought there was a chance that Albus would remain at Hogwarts. No, the older Malfoy was there to watch a show.
"I'm afraid not, Cornelius."
"Then you leave me with no choice. Albus Dumbledore, as Minister of Magic, I am removing you from your position as Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This is effective immediately. The rest of you have–"
FWOOSH!
In a burst of flame, a girl in a red cloak with dark red hair appeared in the middle of the room, with Albus's pet bird perched on her arm.
"That was fun!" she exclaimed, looking for all the world like a girl who had just heard that Christmas was coming twice that year, and not at all how Lucius had made the students sound. The girl looked around the room at what was most of Albus's staff, stopping when she spotted Cornelius. "Salutations!" She curtsied. "You must be the High Emperor of Magic!"
"Minister will do fine, little girl," Cornelius said. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Lucius steal a glare at the girl.
Obviously not someone Lucius likes, thought Cornelius. Better find out who she is.
"Albus, who exactly is she?"
"Rose!" the girl exclaimed. "Rose Peta-Lorrum!" She curtsied again. At least she was polite.
"Our guide," Albus said. "You see, we were just about to handle the Basilisk when you and Lucius arrived."
"That's ridiculous," Lucius said.
"How so?" Albus asked calmly.
"No one's been able to find the Chamber of Secrets in over 50 years," Lucius scoffed. "What makes you think she can?"
"For many reasons that are long and complicated, of course," the girl replied. "Speaking of complicated, how've you been, Goldilocks?"
Several of the adults in the room strained themselves to not start laughing. Lucius Malfoy was known to control most of the Ministry of Magic, possibly including the Minister himself, and Rose Peta-Lorrum called him "Goldilocks". The man could probably have her killed and get away with it, and she was treating him like she treated everyone else.
"Peta-Lorrum, now's not a good time," Minerva hissed, being one of the few to see no humor in the situation.
"We're gonna go kill us a basilisk!" Peta-Lorrum exclaimed, apparently ignorant to the depth of her current situation. "Wanna come?"
"You're sending a child to fight it?" Cornelius asked. He knew Dumbledore was losing it, but the Minister didn't think that the old man was so mad as to send in a child to fight a full-grown basilisk.
"As I said, Rose is the only person who knows how to find the Chamber, Cornelius," Albus replied. "She will show us where it is, then we will go in and kill the Basilisk." He turned to face Rose. "She will be staying outside."
"Lame!" the girl exclaimed.
Albus turned to look at Cornelius. "Now, I believe I am to join you?"
"Wait, what?" Peta-Lorrum asked. "What'd I miss?"
"Yes, you are," Cornelius said, pleased that nothing was going wrong. "And as I was saying, the rest of you have 24 hours to deal with the Basilisk. Otherwise, the Ministry will take over. Good day to you all."
Rose watched as Professor Dumbledore left with Corny and Goldilocks. She turned to Professor McGonagall.
"Well, what's the plan?"
In another part of the castle, preparations were being made by someone else.
Dobby the House-elf was in a panic. He had to find Harry Potter quickly, before Master realized that Dobby was missing. If he didn't find the boy before then, Harry Potter could die, and it would be all Dobby's fault. He moved quickly through the castle, trying to find anyone that could help him.
Fortunately for Dobby, he came across a young girl. Perhaps she could tell him where to find Harry Potter.
"Dobby is begging your pardon, Miss," Dobby said. "But is you knowing where to be finding Harry Potter?"
The girl tilted her head, then looked in a book. She flipped through it for a moment, then read something on the page.
Dobby tried to steal a peak in the book, but saw nothing. Was it magic ink? Wait a minute! That book looked an awful lot like Master's diary!
"He's that way," the girl replied in a serene voice, pointing down the corridor. "After the first right, take the second left, and you'll see him before too long."
"Dobby is thanking you, Miss," Dobby said. Without another word, the house-elf rushed off down the corridor, following the girl's instructions exactly.
It couldn't have been Master's book. Why would a little girl have it? Rather, why would that little girl have it? It was an orangey girl that was supposed to have it, not a ghostly girl!
Instead of finding Harry Potter, Dobby ran straight into another house-elf. This one was younger than Dobby, and about an inch shorter, which was a lot to a house-elf.
"Who is being you?" the other elf asked Dobby.
Dobby noticed a Hogwarts crest sewn to the towel the other elf wore, and a sparkling blue seashell attached to a cord around the elf's neck.
"Dobby is looking for Harry Potter," Dobby said, attempting to sound important. "You will be telling Dobby where he is being."
"Dripty will be doing no such thing!" the other elf exclaimed.
"Then Dobby will be having to make Dripty be telling him!" Dobby exclaimed.
Dobby held out his hand, focusing energy within his palm. Dobby knew tricks that most house-elves didn't, having lived in an older family. An older family meant older house-elves, which meant access to older house-elf magic. Magic that would be unknown to silly Hogwarts house-elves.
Unfortunately for Dobby, while Dripty didn't know old house-elf magic, he knew a new, Rose Peta-Lorrum trick.
<Miss Rose!>
<Miss Rose! Miss Rose!>
<Dripty?> Rose asked. <What's wrong?>
"Ms. Peta-Lorrum?" Professor McGonagall asked. "Are you–?"
"Sh!" Rose said, holding up her finger.
<There is being another house-elf in Hogwarts! But he is not being a Hogwarts house-elf! He is trying to be attacking Dripty!>
"Peta-Lorrum, what are–" Professor Snape began, but he too was shushed by the girl.
<What's he look like?> Rose asked. <Is he sickly with scars all over him?>
<Yes! How is Miss Rose knowing this?>
<Dobby,> Rose pathed. <He's called Dobby. He was trying to stop Harry's mail over the summer.>
<He was being mean to Harry Potter?!> gasped the elf. <He is saying he is trying to find Harry Potter!>
<Delay him as long as you can,> Rose replied, dropping her arm. "There's a foreign house-elf in the school threatening one of the Hogwarts house-elves. Does anyone recognize the name 'Dobby'?"
"That's Lucius Malfoy's house-elf," Professor Snape said.
"He probably just joined Lucius when he ventured to the school," Professor McGonagall said.
"But why let the house-elf out of his sight?" Professor Vector asked.
"Well, he's terrorizing a Hogwarts elf," Rose said. "And he tried to stop Harry's mail over the summer."
"What was that about Potter?" Professor McGonagall asked.
By now, Rose had already realized that the professors weren't going to help Dripty fast enough. She expanded her picnic basket and called out Intelligencer.
"Int, I need you to find Dripty. I'll give you a location when you're on the way. Help him out however you can."
Intelligencer nodded, then flew off out of the room.
<Dripty, help is on the way.>
<Dripty is thanking you, Miss Rose!>
Rose smiled. She loved that little elf.
"Ms. Peta-Lorrum, what did you say about Mr. Potter?" Professor McGonagall asked impatiently, trying hard not to let the flying ferret thing distract her. "It could be important."
"Goldilocks's house-elf was trying to stop Harry's mail over the summer," Rose replied. "I don't know why. Ref didn't get a chance to get in his head."
"That's odd, but irrelevant," Professor McGonagall said. "Most likely the young Malfoy attempting to interfere with Potter. We'll address it after we've gotten the Basilisk taken care of."
"Are you ready?" Professor McGonagall asked the crimson-haired girl.
"Yup," Rose replied. She pulled out Serendipity and power surged her. In Dwarven, she whispered, "I wish I knew the path to the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets."
Immediately, her head was filled with the exact directions to her desired location. Find the path was a wonderful spell; there was no requirement about visiting the location previously, or even an XP cost. It just showed the caster the way to a specified location, and Serendipity could replicate it perfectly.
"Got it," Rose said. "Onward!"
As Rose led her strike team to the first floor, students stopped and stared at the group of teachers. Most of them were curious as to why there were so many teachers together, all of whom seemed to be following Rose Peta-Lorrum. Any questions were deflected by quick words from Minerva or a glare from Severus.
"Question," Rose said. "What happens if the Ministry takes over?"
"The school will be closed down," Minerva replied. "Students of influential families will be pampered and tended to, while everyone else, including most Half-blood and Muggle-born students, will be ignored. A strike team of Aurors and specialists will be sent in to deal with the Basilisk, but that probably won't happen immediately. First it must be determined that a team is necessary, which likely won't happen for a few months. After that, the board of directors will vote on a new headmaster, since there won't be any possibility of reinstating Professor Dumbledore. In fact, if anyone is killed, he will be tried for murder."
"Wow," Rose said. "That's not normal, is it?"
"Unfortunately, it has become increasingly standard," Minerva told the girl. "The Minister is suspicious of Professor Dumbledore, believing that the Headmaster seeks his position. These paranoid delusions are fueled by members of the Ministry seeking to overthrow Professor Dumbledore."
"I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that Goldilocks is one of them," the crimson-haired said.
"You'd be correct."
"Figures," Rose huffed. "The government isn't exactly trustworthy back home, either. The five continents are supposed to work together, but usually only the eastern ones do. That's Halflings, Dwarves, and Gnomes. The three actually get along quite well. Humans are usually neutral, but Elves don't care about anyone except themselves. They've gotten better over the past few years, mostly due to the massive power shift caused by Uncle Oz's restructuring of Arcrel, Sk'lar taking over Episti, and Professor Selaera following suit with Univra."
Minerva normally didn't want to play into the girl's delusions, but for the moment, she had nothing better to do with her time. Not to mention hearing stories might distract her from their impending fight with a basilisk.
Might as well humor the girl, she thought.
"What are those?" the Headmistress asked.
"The Academies," she replied. "The heads of each advise the Elven Royal Family. Episti used to have the most pull, but Sk'lar willingly reduced the amount of power he had when he took over. He wanted them all to be equal."
"The schools control the government?" Minerva asked.
"They're just advisers. The Elves have got their royalty, the Humans have got a bunch of politicians that don't get along, the Dwarves are led by the Field Marshal, and the Gnomes have got their Council of Elders. The Halflings used to, but Thars, the capital, was destroyed a few years back, so until they rebuild, the council is scattered."
"I see," Minerva said. She was impressed by how thorough this imaginary world of Peta-Lorrum's was. The girl had distinct races, a language for each one, even governments of varying effectiveness. Minerva wouldn't have thought that the girl was that dedicated, nor had the capacity for such thought. It wasn't that Peta-Lorrum wasn't clever, but rather that she had "the attention span of a fly", to quote Weasley.
"Field Marshal Turlek's nice. It's hard to earn his respect, but once you do, you've got a friend for life. He sent Mr. Grund and some of the other Dwarves to help with the reconstruction on Luna."
"Luna Lovegood?" Minerva asked.
"No, there's a continent back home called Luna, along with its twin, Sola. It was the Halfling home, but it was burned to the ground. Dwarves, Halflings, Gnomes, and I think some of the Leonals are all working together to restore it."
"What are 'Leonals'?" asked Septima, who had been listening to the entire conversation.
"When Sk'lar was evacuating everyone, he opened a gate to Elysium, where a bunch of the Leonals helped get everyone to safety. They recognized Carolina's status as a Chosen of the Paragons and were more than happy to help out."
"And your friends just happened to be there?" Professor Snape asked.
"They were the targets," Rose replied. "Anyway, like I said, the eastern continents work together well. Not so much the western ones."
"Dobby will not be finding Harry Potter!" Dripty exclaimed for the fifth time.
Dripty wasn't doing well against the foreign elf, but he didn't need to beat him, only delay him until help arrived. Miss Rose was sending help, and Dripty had caught sight of Miss Rose's pet ferret earlier. The flying creature was keeping tabs on them, hopefully reporting back to Miss Rose.
The intruder knew a lot of magic that Dripty didn't, which was starting to frighten Dripty. But Dobby was impatient to return to his search for Harry Potter, a fact which Dripty exploited. Every time Dobby believed that Dripty was defeated, he would drop his guard, and Dripty would get in a good hit.
Just as Dobby was about to throw another spell at Dripty, something happened that neither of them expected. They heard humming from down the corridor, and Dripty grew excited.
"Miss Rose!" he exclaimed, but his heart sank when he saw that it was not Miss Rose humming. And his hope turned to terror when she saw what she was holding.
Under one arm, the girl with ghostly blonde hair held a black book. In the other hand, she held a mirror. She had it angled so that Dripty could see a pair of burning, yellow eyes in the reflection. As Dripty saw it, everything around him went dark.
Dobby looked at the unconscious house-elf, then at the girl that had told him where to find Harry Potter. His eyes grew wide as he realized that the book was Master's diary. There was no other explanation for what had just happened. Master had said that the diary would cause something bad to happen at Hogwarts, and it was.
Dobby fled in horror the instant he recognized the book the girl was carrying. The house-elf didn't know how she had Master's diary, but he wasn't going to stay to find out.
The girl smiled to herself as she deposited the mirror in her haversack. Opening her book, she looked down at the words beginning to form on the page.
"Alright, Mummy," she said. "Now what do I do?"
Just as they reached the first floor, their crimson-haired guide stopped walking.
"Ms. Peta-Lorrum?" Minerva asked. "Is something wrong?"
"Very," the girl replied. "Very, very wrong." She broke into a run, forcing the professors to sprint to keep up with the girl. She was surprisingly fast for someone so short.
"What's going on?!" demanded Severus, running to keep pace with the little girl.
"Change in Dripty's status!" came the reply. "He was attacked!"
"Ms. Peta-Lorrum, we don't have time–"
"We're making time!" she shouted at them. "Dripty wasn't just attacked; I'm getting his status as petrified!"
"The Basilisk attacked your house-elf friend?" Minerva asked, still wrapping her mind around this girl being friends with a house-elf. On the other hand, if it had to be any student, Minerva wasn't surprised that it was her.
More importantly, why did the Basilisk go after a house-elf?
Then the answer struck her: The students were being monitored by the portraits or the staff, but the house-elves were on alert. They were susceptible to the Basilisk, and easy targets at that, so long as they didn't hear it coming.
They knew they were there when they reached it. On the ground was a house-elf, petrified, with a look of sheer terror on his face. On his tea towel there was a crest of Hogwarts, denoting that he was an honored house-elf, and around his neck he wore a blue seashell.
Not too far from him was a small blue and black striped ferret with wings. Unlike the house-elf, its eyes were closed, which meant it was either dead or unconscious.
"Int, wake up!" the crimson-haired girl called as she rushed to the side of her house-elf friend.
The ferret slowly rose to its feet, apparently mostly immune to the Basilisk.
"How is the ferret unharmed?" Professor Vector asked.
"Int's a construct," Rose replied. "Not technically alive, so he's immune to death-effects, but it still knocked him unconscious."
The other professors surveyed the surrounding area. It was Severus that spotted it first. It was written high enough on the wall that it wasn't immediately obvious.
"Peta-Lorrum, you should probably see this," Severus said.
"Busy," Rose replied absently.
<Rose, look up,> Reflectesalon and Intelligencer ordered.
Following the instructions of her item familiar, Rose looked up from Dripty's petrified body. What she saw made the situation go from bad to worse.
There, on the wall, written in what was probably blood, was a message.
HER SKELETON WILL LIE IN THE CHAMBER FOREVER
Pomona gasped when she read it.
"No," breathed Septima.
"Whose skeleton?" Bathsheda asked.
"We'll find out," Minerva said. She turned to their crimson-haired companion. "Ms. Peta-Lorrum, can you–"
"Not easily," the second-year replied, her eyes returning to the house-elf. "It'll be faster to just do a head count." She tapped Dripty with Serendipity. "I wish he were restored."
"AH!" shrieked the house-elf. He was joined by some of the professors, some of them never having witnessed Rose restore one of the students.
"What is–" Realizing that everything was different, Dripty darted his head around the area, attempting to take in everything at once. The instant he saw Miss Rose, he latched onto her.
"Miss Rose! Dripty is being so happy to be seeing you!"
"I'm happy to be seeing you too, Dripty, but right now, I need you to return to the House-Elf Common Room," she said. "Did Dobby say anything?"
"Dobby said he was looking for Harry Potter! He was trying to stop Harry Potter from being attacked!"
"That's odd," Rose said. "I was under the impression he was trying to interfere with Harry, not help him."
Minerva realized that their guide was going to be occupied for a few minutes, so she turned to her other companions.
"I want all students to return to their rooms immediately," Minerva said. "Pomona, Severus, and Filius, do a head count of each of your students. Septima, Bathsheda, and Aurora, you help them round up the students, then have the Gryffindor prefects do a head count. I want to know who was taken into the Chamber of Secrets ten minutes ago."
"Rose?" Pomona said. "Are you alright?"
Minerva turned to face the crimson-haired girl again, and saw why the Herbology Professor was asking about her. The girl was staring into space with her wand held to her face.
"Who?" Severus asked. He wasn't certain, but that look had all the signs that the girl knew who was in the Chamber of Secrets.
"Luna," Rose replied, not moving her wand. The normally confident girl had faltered, her eyes full of confusion. "I checked Hermione's status, and thought I'd check on Luna for good measure. They're the only two of my friends that haven't had a run-in with something this year." She tilted her head ever so slightly. "I guess Neville and Ginny haven't either."
"Are you sure it's her?" Aurora asked the girl.
"She's in the same spot the Basilisk was back in November."
"You wanted the hard way," Rose heard a familiar voice say. "We could've done this words, not with weapons."
Rose began to shake with anger. The owner of that voice was going after her friends, and now it was targeting her surrogate little sister. Luna was sweet and innocent, and still suffering through losing her mum.
That voice didn't know it, but it was playing with fire.
"Rose, it's alright," Pomona said kindly. "We'll get her out of there."
"This isn't fear," Rose said calmly. Her tone had changed. She was no longer timid as she had just been. "This is anger." She turned to Minerva. "Round up the students, get them safely into the Common Rooms. Don't let them out until this is resolved."
"Ms. Peta-Lorrum, might I remind you of your place in all of this?" Minerva said. "You are the student, not the teacher."
"But I can look the Basilisk right in the eye and not die," Rose shot back. "I know where to find the Basilisk, and I've killed far stronger monsters than it."
Minerva glared at the girl, who stared back at her. For once in her life, the girl was serious.
"You can't honestly expect me to allow you to go in there alone, Ms. Peta-Lorrum," Minerva said finally.
"I don't need to enter it to remove Little Moon," Rose shot back. "But I do want my other friends watched. I'm going to bring Luna to the Hospital Wing, and my friends along with her, so someone needs to go with me."
The rest of the staff turned to Minerva. What happened next was her call, and they all knew it.
"I will accompany you to the Hospital Wing, Ms. Peta-Lorrum," she said. "And you will not make a habit of giving me orders. Is that understood?"
"This ends, I don't do it anymore," the girl replied. "Professor McGonagall, Hospital Wing. Everyone else, students."
Each of the staff looked to the Acting Headmistress.
"You heard her," Minerva said. "All of you, verify that the other students are safe. If you don't hear from me within 10 minutes, go to the Hospital Wing immediately. We'll regroup there and take this thing out."
Dripty apparated as the other professors began to run to their respective common rooms, with the additional professors on their heels.
"Ms. Peta-Lorrum, how–"
No sooner had Minerva looked at the girl than they appeared in the Hospital Wing, startling Madame Pomfrey.
"Ms. Peta-Lorrum, how many times?!" she shrieked.
"Another time, Poppy," Minerva said quickly. "Luna Lovegood has been taken into the Chamber of Secrets."
Poppy gasped, bringing her hands to her mouth.
Out of the corner of her eye, Minerva saw Peta-Lorrum waving her wand.
"What are you–"
Her question was answered as Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Sally-Anne Perks, and Neville Longbottom all appeared in the Hospital Wing.
But most astounding of all was the final person. Luna Lovegood now rested in Peta-Lorrum's arms. The crimson-haired girl gingerly laid the Ravenclaw down on one of the beds.
"What's going on?!" Ron shouted.
"How'd we get here?" Ginny asked.
"Rose did it," Hermione said, not needing to so much as think about her answer. "Luna!"
"What's wrong with her?" Harry asked.
"Recap: Dripty was attacked and Luna was taken into the Chamber of Secrets," Rose said. "End of recap."
Poppy rushed over to the girl's bed and began firing off a volley of analysis charms on the girl. She checked for anything and everything that popped into her head.
"Why isn't she awake?" Sally-Anne asked.
"She's alive," Madame Pomfrey said. "She's fading fast. Something seems to be draining her!"
"Draining her of what?" Rose demanded.
"Her life," Madame Pomfrey replied. "I'm sorry, but that's the easiest way I can describe it."
"Why are we here?" Neville asked.
"Something's been targeting me," Rose said, still not taking her eyes off Luna. "First Harry, then Sally-Anne, Ron, Dripty, now Luna. Something's been going after my friends, but I'm going to put a stop to it."
"First we should find out what's wrong with Luna," Sally-Anne said, worried that everything seemed to be happening awful fast.
"What could be doing this?" Rose asked Professor McGonagall.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Peta-Lorrum, but I don't know."
"Anyone?!" Rose shouted, her desperation becoming more apparent.
"Rose," Harry said, staring at the wall. "Look at this."
They all looked above the bed in which Luna lay. Above it, written in blood, was a message for Rose.
YOU HAVE FREED HER BODY, LITTLE ROSIE, BUT HER SOUL IS MINE.
"What's that mean?" Ron asked.
"How'd that get there?" Neville asked.
"Magic," Ginny muttered. "Duh!"
"It means the Heir is keeping her like this," Hermione said. "There's nothing we can do."
"Not from here," Professor McGonagall said. "Ms. Peta-Lorrum and I will venture into the Chamber and–"
"No," Rose said. "Not you, just me."
"Ms. Peta-Lorrum, I believe I asked you stop giving me orders."
"You did, and I'm ignoring you," Rose replied, looking straight at the Transfigurations Professor. "Professor, if you leave, there will be no one to stop the Basilisk from coming after them. We both know the staff is spread too thin keeping the other students safe. With Professor Dumbledore gone, it's down to us. It can't be you to go in, because I'm the only one who knows where to go. I'll pick up Lockhart on the way if you're so concerned about me going alone."
"I'd be more concerned if he went with you," McGonagall said. "Be careful. You don't know what's down there."
Serendipity appeared in Rose's hand, and she power surged her, twice for good measure, extending both of them. That was eight charges for forty minutes. Rose wasn't sure how long this was going to take, but she was confident that it wouldn't take that long.
"I'm going in," Rose said. "Don't follow me."
"Wasn't planning on it," Harry and Ron muttered.
As Minerva watched the young Gryffindor leave the Hospital Wing, something occurred to her. The Basilisk had been targeting Peta-Lorrum's friends the entire year. It had gone so far as to wait for an opportunity on one of them, ignoring the several opportunities it had to attack other students. As hard as Minerva and the rest of the staff tried, Hogwarts remained almost completely unmonitored. It wasn't as bad as it had been before the use of the portraits, but the Basilisk must have had plenty of opportunities to attack the other students.
Minerva acknowledged that her colleagues were correct: Peta-Lorrum was somehow involved in this. Knowing what she did about the girl's strengths, Minerva hoped that she wasn't the one causing the attacks, but there was always that possibility.
Regardless, the situation in which Minerva now found herself was one with every one of the Basilisk's targets in one area, a single exit from that area, and the person it feared had just left them.
Minerva paled.
Peta-Lorrum had just rounded up everyone into the same room, with only two members of the staff to protect them. After that, she crafted an excuse to leave them alone, making them completely susceptible to the Basilisk.
Three possibilities came to mind: Peta-Lorrum was behind it and wanted to kill her friends; Peta-Lorrum wasn't behind it and needed to use them as bait to lure away the Basilisk; or Peta-Lorrum didn't realize that there was only one exit from the Hospital Wing. Given how infrequently the girl used doors, it was probably the third one.
"Children," Minerva said calmly, her eyes fixed on the entrance. "Don't panic."
"Professor?" Granger asked.
"You six get Lovegood to Poppy's office," Minerva said, no longer concerning herself with professionalism. "Poppy, you and I need to be ready."
"For what?" Poppy asked.
"Children, now!" Minerva shouted.
The children weren't sure why they were receiving orders to hide, but they didn't question them. Neville picked up Luna and carried her into Madame Pomfrey's office.
"Poppy, now you," Minerva said, her wand at the ready.
"Minerva, I–"
"Now, Poppy," Minerva said, keeping her voice calm. She watched the entrance to the Hospital Wing, knowing what would come in only moments.
As Poppy began to walk towards her office, the Basilisk smashed through the wall of the Hospital Wing, blocking the only exit.
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