บท 151: Nagini's Doubt
The light dissipated.
Artel stood in the ruined basement. In front of him lay the basilisk, severed in two, still twitching unconsciously.
Blood, gravel, and ruins surrounded him. Though not tall, Artel seemed like a giant with the long sword in his hand.
No one spoke; everyone felt an inexplicable shock in that moment.
The long sword in Artel's hand gradually vanished. He turned around and smiled slightly at the stunned onlookers.
A murmur of exclamations rose from the little wizards in the lounge. Artel noticed Pansy had fainted from excitement.
"Artel..."
Nagini leaned weakly against the wall. She looked at the twelve-year-old boy, muttering to herself with an emotion in her eyes she couldn't quite identify.
Saruman had not appeared, and the basilisk was ultimately beheaded by Artel.
"Is that what the master meant?"
Nagini coughed twice, clutching her ribs. She had endured a lot for Artel and wasn't sure how many ribs were broken. If not for the timely response of Professor Flitwick and Professor Snape, she might have been bitten to death by the furious basilisk.
"It's over..."
Professor McGonagall breathed a sigh of relief, sitting down weakly before bursting into relieved laughter.
"I always said Artel should have been in Gryffindor. He's a Gryffindor-approved kid... there must be something wrong with the Sorting Hat."
Snape snorted coldly, sitting on a piece of rubble and panting heavily.
"Artel is a great Slytherin, and that's something no one can change!" he declared.
Artel looked at his professors, appreciating the pride and relief in their eyes. He knew this moment was a turning point, not just for him, but for everyone at Hogwarts.
The two professors glanced at each other and laughed simultaneously, a rare moment of levity amid the tension.
The Slytherin students poured out of the common room, chattering excitedly. Some were eager to see the basilisk, but the sight of its massive, still-writhing body quickly filled them with fear. A few witches looked toward Artel, but hesitated to approach due to their usual strained relationship with him.
"Professor, what should I do now?" Artel asked, walking back to the lounge amid the applause and cheers of the Slytherins. He sat down beside Snape and McGonagall.
"Wait for Dumbledore to return," McGonagall replied. "He went to retrieve something Slytherin left behind. I don't think he imagined the basilisk would be dealt with in his absence."
She smiled at the thought of Dumbledore's surprise.
"As for the other professors..." McGonagall glanced at the petrified Professor Flitwick and Madam Hooch, her expression troubled.
"Professor Sprout mentioned that Mandrake Draught could cure the petrification caused by the basilisk, but cultivating them will take time. Snape, you should be able to buy mature Mandrakes, right?"
Snape, a master of potions with access to rare ingredients, nodded. "Yes, but I need to rest first. I'll bring them back this afternoon."
With Snape's assurance, McGonagall felt a wave of relief. She turned to Nagini, who was enduring visible pain. "Artel, please take Professor Nagini to the infirmary. She is injured and needs Madam Pomfrey's treatment."
"Of course," Artel agreed. He stood up and walked over to Nagini, helping her to her feet. Two witches ran over, offering assistance. Artel initially wanted them to take Nagini, but she insisted she had something to tell him and sent the witches away.
"Alright, everyone back to the common room to rest!" McGonagall commanded. "Gemma, find two students to help take Professor Flitwick and Madam Hooch to the infirmary as well."
Snape, remembering his role as Head of Slytherin House, turned to the students with a stern expression. "Return to the common room immediately," he ordered, his voice cold. The students, though reluctant, obeyed and filed back to the lounge.
As Artel helped Nagini out of the room, she whispered, "Thank you, Artel. There's something important I need to discuss with you."
Artel nodded, his curiosity piqued. Together, they made their way to the infirmary, the weight of the day's events still heavy on their minds.
The Slytherin students were usually very afraid of Snape, but seeing his cold expression now, they didn't dare say anything and reluctantly returned to the lounge.
Gemma led several upperclassmen as they carried the petrified Professor Flitwick and Madam Hooch away.
Artel supported Nagini, helping her walk slowly upstairs.
Because Nagini walked very slowly, they were soon left behind by Gemma and the others.
Once out of the basement, Nagini took a deep breath to relieve the pain in her body. She spoke softly and asked:
"Artel, do you know Saruman?"
"Um?" Artel was startled. Nagini had asked him this question before. At that time, he had told her that Saruman was an evil dark wizard. But apparently, his performance in killing the basilisk today had made Nagini begin to doubt his relationship with Saruman. Because no matter how you looked at it, the biggest beneficiary of this basilisk incident was himself.
"Okay, Professor Nagini, I don't want to lie to you... I know him, but I don't really know him... It's just that I found a notebook in the library before, it was Saruman's witchcraft notebook... I secretly studied some of the magic from it."
Artel's tone was a little guilty. He paused and then said, "If you want to confiscate the notebook, I'll give it to you when we get back..."
Nagini heard the disappointment in Artel's voice. She smiled, thinking she had overthought things, and said, "I didn't mean it like that... but Saruman... his identity is very special. You'd better not let people know you have his notes, and don't cast his spells lightly."
"If you have trouble learning his magic, you can come to me secretly."
Nagini smiled at Artel.
Her face was pale, and in her weakened state, she had a morbid beauty.
Artel nodded and said nothing more.
Nagini was very tired, so she didn't speak either, and the two of them continued to the infirmary in silence.
Madam Pomfrey and Professor Sprout were busy making potions. Professor Sinistra was lying on a bed, her arms darkened and looking very unwell.
Professor Flitwick and Madam Hooch had been carried to hospital beds, but since they were petrified, there was nothing to be done for them at the moment, so Pomfrey and Professor Sprout didn't attend to them immediately.
"Artel?" Sprout froze for a moment when she saw Artel, then hurriedly let him help Nagini onto an empty hospital bed.
Madam Pomfrey came over. She first cast a pain-relieving spell on Nagini, then checked her injuries and said, "Five broken ribs... You've hurt your internal organs. You'll be fine after drinking the potion, but you still need to rest well for a while..."
Artel helped Nagini lie down gently on the bed, his face showing concern. "Thank you, Madam Pomfrey. I'll make sure she gets plenty of rest."
Pomfrey nodded, her expression softening as she looked at Nagini. "You were very brave, Professor. Just focus on getting better now."
As Pomfrey prepared the potion for Nagini, Artel turned to Professor Sprout. "Is there anything else I can do to help, Professor?"
Sprout shook her head. "You've done more than enough, Artel. You should rest too."
Artel nodded, though his thoughts were already drifting to the next steps he needed to take. The basilisk was gone, but the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets—and Saruman's connection to it—was far from resolved.
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