Chương 26: Culprit and possible danger at Hogwarts(26)
Chapter 26
Minerva McGonagall was the first to notice it—a dark smear on the ground, not far from where they stood. It was dried blood, and near it, the ground was disturbed, as though something massive had been dragged or removed from the chamber. "Merlin's beard," she whispered, her face pale beneath her usually stern expression. "Something—no, someone—killed it."
Severus Snape stood nearby, his black cloak billowing slightly in the damp air, eyes narrowed as he surveyed the evidence. He knelt next to the blood, brushing his fingers just over the surface without touching it. "The Basilisk is dead." His voice was soft but carried the weight of his disbelief. "This is its blood. But... how?"
Lockhart, standing a few steps behind the others, puffed out his chest, adjusting his flamboyant robes and flashing a toothy grin. "Well, I'm sure it was no great feat! If I had been down here, I'd have dispatched the creature in no time." He waved his hand dismissively at the carnage, stepping closer as though inspecting a minor inconvenience.
Dumbledore said nothing at first, his blue eyes gleaming with a mixture of curiosity and concern. He approached the large smear of blood and knelt beside Snape, his long fingers gently tracing the dried remnants on the stone floor. "This creature," he began softly, almost to himself, "was ancient... immensely powerful. To kill it... required strength—and knowledge."
Filius Flitwick, the diminutive Charms professor, hovered nearby, his brow furrowed as he examined the broken stone where the Basilisk had clearly been taken apart. "It would have taken someone very skilled. This is no ordinary wound. Whoever did this must have been prepared. Very prepared."
Snape rose to his full height, his face hardening into a mask of suspicion. "Prepared is an understatement." His voice was a low, dangerous hiss. "This wasn't a random act. Whoever killed the Basilisk knew exactly what they were doing. And more concerning is that they removed the body. The power one could wield with such materials..."
McGonagall's face tightened at the implication. "The Basilisk's body. Whoever took it could use it for the Darkest of magic." She cast a glance at Dumbledore, her voice dropping. "Albus, if this person turns against Hogwarts—"
"I'm well aware of the danger, Minerva." Dumbledore's tone remained calm, but his gaze swept the chamber, as if looking for clues, piecing together the events. "There is more at stake here than we might realize."
Pomona Sprout, her usual cheeriness absent, nervously twisted the sleeves of her robes. "It's disturbing to think that anyone in the school could have done this. If they can kill a Basilisk... then no one is safe. The students—"
"Are in grave danger, indeed," Snape interrupted, his dark eyes narrowing further. "And if the one responsible isn't found... who knows what they might do next? They've already butchered the most dangerous creature in this school."
Lockhart, clearly itching to reclaim the spotlight, cleared his throat loudly. "Ah, but it's entirely possible, you see, that they were simply... lucky!" He beamed around the group, clearly oblivious to their growing tension. "I mean, Basilisks are fearsome, no doubt, but with a little skill, a bit of charm, one can easily subdue such a beast. Had I been here—"
"Had you been here," Snape said icily, his tone dripping with disdain, "we would be recovering two bodies instead of just one."
Lockhart flushed slightly but pressed on, undeterred. "Well! I appreciate your vote of confidence, Severus, but I assure you, I've faced worse. You all remember the tale of the Banshee in Bandon? The one I vanquished single-handedly?"
"Do be quiet, Gilderoy," McGonagall snapped, her patience wearing thin.
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled for a brief moment before he grew serious again, standing up and looking toward the entrance. "The person who did this is highly skilled. But they are not invincible." He paused, his voice growing quieter, though still laced with authority. "We must find them before they strike again."
Flitwick, still frowning at the scene, shook his head. "To take down a creature of that size... it couldn't have been a student, could it?"
Dumbledore glanced at him. "One would think not, but Hogwarts has always attracted unusual talent. We cannot rule out the possibility of someone within these walls being responsible."
Snape's eyes flickered briefly toward Lockhart, and then back to the bloodstained floor. His voice was dangerously low. "Whoever it was... they are dangerous, perhaps more dangerous than the Basilisk itself. If they can turn that power against the school..." He left the thought hanging in the air, but everyone felt the weight of his words. Lockhart, still preening, seemed oblivious to the true gravity of the situation. "Well, if they need a hero, they'll know where to find me!" he exclaimed with a flourish, earning a round of exasperated sighs from the others.
Dumbledore, however, ignored Lockhart's boasting and turned to face his colleagues. His expression was grave. "We will need to be vigilant. Whoever did this may have more sinister plans in mind. And if they turn their attention toward the students... we may be facing a threat unlike any we've encountered before." He glanced down at the bloodstained stone one last time before quietly adding, "And I fear this is only the beginning." as they then left the chamber of secrets.
Meanwhile, the culprit was safe, tucked away in his suitcase. He was currently in the midst of creating potions using the materials he got from the basilisk, and he succeeded in creating the potions.
[Name: Basilisk's Arcane Elixir]
[Grade: High grade]
[Description:] This magic-enhancing potion boosts the user's arcane abilities by 500%. Created using basilisk blood, unicorn hair, and moonstone essence, the elixir fortifies the drinker's magical core, allowing for stronger and more potent spellcasting. The effects are long-lasting but not permanent, designed to boost a witch or wizard's magical potential during intense combat or spellcrafting.
[Deterioration-Rate: 100%]
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A/N Well, like i said, he took the entire thing. Anyway, what do you guys think, i removed the previous in-chapter thing and honestly it was a lot of work.
ps: which one do you think can give Gray the most material for his potion, the Monster Hunter movie or Maleficent (2014) just a question, no thought behind it.
Ps: so I decided to watch some maleficent on tiktok and well it's decided
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