Snape depreciatingly muttered, "Gryffindors."
When Remus reached the bottom he called back up "I'm alright, if a bit filthy. Let me clean up some of these animal skeletons and cast some freshening charms."
Harry looked at the slide. "How will we get back up?"
"Salazar Slytherin was not stupid. He probably had command words." One of the goblins said.
"Command words?" Severus Snape said.
Harry, his mind going ninety miles a minute, said, "Command words… like~ stairs~ ." He gave a victorious grin when stairs formed. The headmaster gave him an approving nod and the group moved downward. Harry pulled something out of his pocket and put them on.
Snape recognizing Muggle sunglasses said "It's dark down there I hardly think you'll need sunglasses."
"Au contraire, Professor, note the lenses of these sunglasses."
Professor Snape took a moment and then it struck him. "They're mirrored."
"And polarized. Hopefully they'll disrupt the basilisk's gaze as I have no desire to die. Petrified I can live with, dead I can't."
"Excellent idea." Snape looked around and then transfigured his own pair from a bit of toilet tissue. He grabbed enough that when they reached the bottom they made enough pairs for everyone.
To offset the now stygian darkness Harry pulled his wand and and cast " Solarius ". They proceeded cautiously through the tunnel pausing briefly when they found the shed basilisk skin. The goblins were very excited by the skin. Harry politely demanded of the youngest and lowest ranked goblin there what they were so excited about and he explained.
"A basilisk is a very magical creature. The venom is the most toxic in the world but it is very valuable in potions. The bones and teeth can be used for potions and for wands. Its heartstrings are fewer but are as useful for wands as a dragon's. Some of the other innards have uses but most of the meat is useless we will burn it and vanish the ashes. While its scales have many uses the skin itself has only one but that one use surpasses all others. You have heard of Dragon hide armor, yes?"
"Yes."
"Well, shed basilisk skin is superior to even the best Ukrainian Ironbelly hide. In addition to being much lighter and more flexible, it can resist thirty times the spell damage of dragon hide. The size of that skin alone is enough for four whole body suits and it is very possible there are more skins down here. It would be a great thing, very profitable."
At this point the goblins indicated they were ready to move on, so the group continued. Then they reached **a solid wall on which two entwined serpents were carved, their eyes set with great glinting emeralds.
Harry approached, his throat very dry. He knew what he had to do. He cleared his throat and he hissed "~Open.~"
The serpents parted as the wall cracked open, the halves slid smoothly out of sight. Despite their fears the group walked inside.
They were at the end of a very long dimly lit chamber, Towering stone pillars entwined with more carved serpents rose to support the ceiling lost in darkness casting long black shadows through the odd, greenish gloom that filled the place. In the distance you could hear the occasional drop of water from condensed air hitting a puddle in the cool room.**
"Slytherin's fabled chamber!" came Flitwick's excited squeak.
Harry supposed it was supposed to be exciting but in his mind this room was eerie and unpleasant. He stepped forward. "Let's just get this done."
"Quite," said Albus.
They kept together at first until they were sure the basilisk wasn't in the immediate vicinity then they spread out to explore.
Albus was frustrated. He had supposed there would be more to Slytherin's fabled chamber than this.
Severus Snape was likewise annoyed; he had always attributed the best to the founder of his house. Pride had its place, but this was just self-aggrandizement on the scale of a Gryffindor. He found himself somewhat disappointed in the founder of his house. Looking at the statue of Slytherin's head, he called to Harry, "Potter, is there anything on the walls that would indicate more rooms off this one?"
Harry walked over to the outer walls and looked. "I don't see anything, sir." Harry continued to look when he neared the statue of Slytherin he heard it. "I can hear the basilisk," he said.
"~ Who has entered my master's chambers!~"
Harry wondered, as he could almost feel a thrum in his chest, if basilisks spoke on an infra- sound level it would explain him being able to hear it through the walls, as he had early in the year.
"~I failed Salazar, my first master. He punished me by leaving me alone here so long. But I will not fail his heir. I will kill the muggleborn. I will drive them far from here.~"
The tone was distinctly deranged. Harry felt pity for the creature. It sounded like centuries locked up alone had driven the once intelligent creature insane . Harry didn't realize it but he hissed "~I wish it would speak to me. Slytherin was a clever man, if a touch egotistical.~"
"~Speaker~"
The mouth of the statue began to open, a large forked tongue flicked out tasting the air. "~Not of his blood or in his control!~" came an enraged hiss.
"OH shit!" Harry exclaimed.
....
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